D-Cycloserine attenuates reactivity to smoking cues in nicotine dependent smokers: a pilot investigation.

Full Abstract

Increasing evidence indicates that smoking cues contribute to nicotine self-administration and attenuating conditioned reactivity to smoking cues may aid abstinence of smoking and prevention of smoking relapse in individuals with nicotine dependence. Based on prior studies showing that the partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) agonist D-cycloserine (DCS) facilitates extinction of learned fear during behavioral exposure therapy in humans and facilitates extinction of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference in animals, we evaluated whether DCS would have potential for reducing reactivity to smoking cues when combined with cue exposure treatment in humans with nicotine dependence. In this double-blind placebo-controlled pilot laboratory study, 25 smokers were recruited from the general community and randomized to DCS or placebo, plus cue exposure therapy. DCS significantly attenuated smoking cue reactivity in response to in-vivo smoking cues based on physiological reactivity and subjective urge-to-smoke ratings and led to a significantly smaller expired carbon monoxide (CO) level at the one-week follow-up compared to placebo, although exploratory analyses indicated no effect on smoking behavior overall. These findings provide promising support for DCS combined with cue exposure therapy in attenuating conditioned reactivity to smoking cues.

Author information

Author/s: Santa Ana, Elizabeth J (EJ); Rounsaville, Bruce J (BJ); Frankforter, Tami L (TL); Nich, Charla (C); Babuscio, Theresa (T); Poling, James (J); Gonsai, Kishorchandra (K); Hill, Kevin P (KP); Carroll, Kathleen M (KM);

Affiliation: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Substance Abuse, West Haven, CT 06516, USA. elizabeth.santaana(-atsign-)yale.edu

Grants: K05-DA00089 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; K05-DA00457 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; P50-DA009241 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Drug and alcohol dependence (Drug Alcohol Depend), published in Ireland. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Oct; vol 104 (issue 3) : pp 220-7

Dates: Created 2009/08/17; Completed 2009/10/28;

PMID: 19592176, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 10/28/2009)

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