Effects of Varenicline on Smoking Lapse in Smokers With and Without Schizophrenia
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The objective of this study is to determine the mechanisms by which varenicline, an effective
smoking cessation treatment, protects against relapse. Varenicline will be administered in
smokers with schizophrenia and control smokers using a randomized, double-blind, cross-over
design. Smokers will be asked to stop smoking overnight; the next day the ability to resist
smoking will be assessed in a laboratory smoking lapse paradigm. Measures of tobacco craving,
reinforcement and withdrawal-related cognitive dysfunction will be correlated with time to
lapse. The results could have significant clinical implications by identifying mechanisms by
which smokers with schizophrenia are at more risk for relapse than the general population,
leading to the development of more effective smoking cessation therapies.