Smoker Clinical Trial
Investigators have recently completed a pilot study exploring the safety and efficacy of
using a virtual-reality based cue platform to elicit craving in smokers with
schizophrenia(SWS)(Wehring et al, unpublished). In this study, participants with
schizophrenia (n=16) showed increased attention to cigarettes and changes in craving measures
when participating in the VR craving platform. In addition, participants tolerated the VR
environment without undue adverse effects or exacerbation of symptoms. Adverse effects from
the VR environment did not differ from that in a non-mentally ill population, and included
headache, nausea, and dizziness as most commonly occurring factors. Persons in this pilot
also showed acceptable rates of Immersion and Presence in the VR environment, showing the
potential use of this form of environment for this and other purposes.
In this study, investigators will examine virtual reality cue-reactivity in smokers with
schizophrenia, with a focus on the relationship of cue-reactivity with self-identified
triggers/cues. Smokers with schizophrenia often identify specific cues that trigger craving.
Many of these are environmental (scent, sight of smoking paraphernalia or cigarettes, related
objects, or social situations), however, a significant amount of smokers describe
emotionally-based factors (sadness, being upset, etc.) as primary cues and triggers. Most
methods used to elicit craving in experimental studies are executed via using environmental
cues like sight of cigarettes or smoking paraphernalia. It is not known if smokers with
schizophrenia(SWS) who are strongly emotionally triggered will be responsive to environmental
triggers in a cue-elicited craving platform. This is an important research question, as the
testing of anti-craving interventions should be generalizable for use across SWS with
differing triggers to smoking. The VR-based environmental program from our pilot study, which
includes sight, scent, and social cues, will be used to test pre-identified environmental
cues/triggers and their effects on cue-elicited craving in 30 SWS. Subjective reports, mood
and emotion measures, and objective physiological measurements will be used to identify and
quantify environmental craving responsivity as well as tonic craving.
Given the high prevalence of smoking among individuals with schizophrenia, understanding some
of the environmental factors that serve to maintain nicotine dependence is a critical step in
improving smoking cessation treatment outcomes. Establishing and validating a model of
cue-elicited responsivity will allow future investigations of craving, and ultimately designs
for studying the efficacy of anti-craving medications in people with schizophrenia.
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Status | Clinical Trial | Phase | |
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Completed |
NCT01867242 -
Methods Project 4: Clinical Trial
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N/A | |
Completed |
NCT03863795 -
Online Survey in Studying Smoking Attitudes and Behaviors Among Current Smokers
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