This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The long-term goal of our research is to determine the stress-related mechanisms responsible for smoking relapse. The specific goal of this project is to determine the extent to which changes in the hormonal activity during early abstinence and in response to acute stress predict relapse in smokers attempting to quit. The study also includes measurement of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), coritsol, blood pressure, and withdrawal symptoms during two laboratory stress sessions (during ad libitum smoking and after 48 hours of abstinence). During each session participants will perform two stressful challenges (public speaking, math). This research focuses on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, an important biological system recently implicated in addiction. The results will be important in the development of optimal diagnostic and intervention strategies for smokers interested in cessation and at high risk for relapse. Reducing relapse rates will contribute significantly towards decreasing tobacco use and its devastating effects.
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