Although the prototypical cigarette smoker is characterized as someone who consistently smokes a pack of cigarettes or more each day, a large number of people described as current smokers neither smoke daily nor consume a pack of cigarettes on days they do smoke. These low-level smokers incur increased health risk as a consequence of their inhalation of smoke. Moreover, for many, low-level smoking represents an important transition period for the development of nicotine dependence, the process presumably responsible for the intractability of cigarette smoking in heavy, chronic smokers. Because of the serious health consequences of low-level smoking and the important role of low-level smoking in emergence of nicotine dependence, it is important to conduct systematic research on this phenomenon. Research on low-level smoking is hampered by the relative absence of self-report instruments that can create an accurate profile of low-level smoking over time. Under ideal circumstances, the accuracy of self-report smoking measures would be validated by biological assays of nicotine exposure. Unfortunately, most conventional biomarker assays are sensitive only to relatively recent smoking and are not particularly useful in accurately characterizing low-levels of smoking. The research in this proposal is designed to validate the systematic use of biomarkers, hair nicotine and cotinine levels, as an accurate index of known low-level nicotine exposure. The research will also comparatively evaluate measures of self-report smoking with the intent of identifying measures that are maximally sensitive to variations in low-level smoking. The developed biomarkers will then be used to validate these self-report measures of smoking behavior. This research will integrate state-of-the-art pharmacology, analytical chemistry, and behavioral science in the development of new tools for the assessment of low-level cigarette smoking. This interdisciplinary approach offers the opportunity to simultaneously validate biological and behavioral indices of low-level smoking. Finally, this research will provide new tools, biological and behavioral, with considerable utility for our understanding of the impact of low-level smoking on health and on the development of nicotine dependence. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA120412-01A1
Application #
7260956
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-RPIA-H (01))
Program Officer
Marcus, Stephen
Project Start
2007-06-01
Project End
2011-05-31
Budget Start
2007-06-01
Budget End
2008-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$385,433
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Utah
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
009095365
City
Salt Lake City
State
UT
Country
United States
Zip Code
84112
Gass, Julie C; Germeroth, Lisa J; Wray, Jennifer M et al. (2016) The Reliability and Stability of Puff Topography Variables in Non-Daily Smokers Assessed in the Laboratory. Nicotine Tob Res 18:484-90
Wray, Jennifer M; Gass, Julie C; Miller, Eleanor I et al. (2016) A comparative evaluation of self-report and biological measures of cigarette use in nondaily smokers. Psychol Assess 28:1043-50
Germeroth, Lisa J; Tiffany, Stephen T (2015) An examination of reactivity to craving assessment: craving to smoke does not change over the course of a multi-item craving questionnaire. Addict Behav 45:74-8
Germeroth, Lisa J; Wray, Jennifer M; Tiffany, Stephen T (2015) Response Time to Craving-Item Ratings as an Implicit Measure of Craving-Related Processes. Clin Psychol Sci 3:530-544
Wray, Jennifer M; Gass, Julie C; Tiffany, Stephen T (2014) The magnitude and reliability of cue-specific craving in nondependent smokers. Drug Alcohol Depend 134:304-308
Wray, Jennifer M; Gass, Julie C; Tiffany, Stephen T (2013) A systematic review of the relationships between craving and smoking cessation. Nicotine Tob Res 15:1167-82
Germeroth, Lisa J; Wray, Jennifer M; Gass, Julie C et al. (2013) Diagnostic utility of craving in predicting nicotine dependence: impact of craving content and item stability. Nicotine Tob Res 15:1988-95
Tiffany, Stephen T; Wray, Jennifer M (2012) The clinical significance of drug craving. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1248:1-17
Tiffany, Stephen T; Friedman, Lawrence; Greenfield, Shelly F et al. (2012) Beyond drug use: a systematic consideration of other outcomes in evaluations of treatments for substance use disorders. Addiction 107:709-18
Dierker, Lisa C; Rose, Jennifer S; Donny, Eric et al. (2011) Alcohol use as a signal for sensitivity to nicotine dependence among recent onset smokers. Addict Behav 36:421-6

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