Research

Scientists reveal key mechanism governing nicotine addiction
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have found a brain pathway that appears to determine a person’s susceptibility to nicotine addiction. Researchers used genetically modified mice to examine how the presence or absence of a portion of a receptor in the brain for nicotine affected nicotine consumption. They found that genetically altered mice lacking a5 subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (a5*nAChRs) consumed much higher quantities of nicotine than normal mice. Additionally, when the altered mice were treated with a virus that restored the expression of a5*nAChRs in the brain, nicotine consumption dropped to a normal level. Further analysis of the biochemical mechanism showed that the a5*nAChRs work to regulate how responsive the brain is to nicotine; when they are not functioning correctly, the brain is less responsive to nicotine and therefore more can be consumed without the brain sending signals to limit nicotine intake. This pathway is already being studied for future development of new smoking cessation drugs. Click here to read more, or click here to read the article abstract from the journal Nature.

Electronic cigarettes as a smoking-cessation tool: Results from an online survey
According to preliminary research presented by Boston University researchers in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, electronic cigarettes may be an effective smoking cessation tool. Researchers surveyed 222 e-cigarette purchasers to determine the point prevalence of smoking abstinence six months after the initial purchase. They found that 31.0% of e-cigarette users reported smoking abstinence at six months, of whom 34.3% no longer used e-cigarettes or any product containing nicotine. In addition, 18.8% of e-cigarette users reported abstinence from smoking for some period of time, and 66.8% of respondents reported reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day. The authors note that more research must be done to assess e-cigarette safety and effectiveness in smoking cessation. Read more here.

iPhone apps for smoking cessation: A content analysis
A new study shows that iPhone applications (apps) designed to promote smoking cessation rarely use guidelines recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service. The content of 47 iPhone smoking cessation apps was analyzed for its approach, adherence to clinical guidelines, and frequency of download. The results show that only 11.3% of the apps strongly followed a particular clinical guideline, and few recommended proven treatments like pharmacotherapy or counseling to users. Apps that scored worst on adherence to guidelines also tended to be the most commonly downloaded. The authors propose that new and existing smoking cessation apps focus on evidence-based practices and undergo evaluation to build the evidence base on the use of smartphones for smoking cessation. Click here to read the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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International

Gum, patches help reluctant quitters smoke less (China)
A new study conducted in China shows that the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) led to a reduction in smoking frequency among smokers who did not have plans to quit. The study randomized 1,154 participants to receive one of three smoking cessation treatment conditions: three sessions of face-to-face counseling on smoking reduction and adherence to NRT plus four weeks of NRT, three sessions of face-to-face counseling on smoking reduction only plus four weeks of NRT, or basic cessation advice once at baseline (control group). After six months, researchers found that participants in the groups receiving NRT were more likely than the control group to achieve tobacco abstinence (17.0% versus 10.2%) and reduction in use (50.9% versus 25.7%). The researchers say that a reduction in smoking could lead to decreased nicotine dependence and ease the quitting process, although the use of NRT and cigarettes concurrently is not currently approved by health authorities in many countries, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Click here to read more, or access the abstract of the study, published in the journal Addiction.

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