Experimentally produced cues for smoking elicit preparatory responses in healthy smokers

Winkler, M.¹, Kraiss, A.¹, Weyers, P.¹, Mucha, R. F.¹, Stippekohl, B.², Stark, R.², and Pauli, P.^1
1University of Wuerzburg, Department of Psychology; ²University of Giessen, Bender Institute of Neuroimaging

Smoking cues are theorized to be conditioned stimuli formed by repeated pairing with drug. Studies showed that smoking-paraphernalia could elicit subjective und physiological responses in smokers, indicative of positive affect and motivation to consume. Although these responses are probably the result of conditioning, there is no clear evidence for this assumption. Direct evidence comes from a handful of conditioning studies in which arbitrary stimuli were experimentally paired with smoke uptake. In extension of these data we report a study with 29 smokers using a differential conditioning protocol with single puffs on a cigarette as reinforcer. The results showed that the CS+ elicited stronger skin-conductance responses and more activity of the zygomatic and orbicularis oris muscle (lip-muscle) than the CS-. These data demonstrate that through pairing with smoke reinforcement neutral stimuli acquire the ability to elicit preparatory physiological responses, which are assumed to play an important role in the maintenance of addiction.

Symposium 11: Neural and behavioural correlates of addiction
11.06.2009, 16:00-17:00
Seminarraum 6