Subjective response to nicotine by menstrual phase

Alicia M Allen¹, Scott Lunos², Stephen J Heishman³, Mustafa al'Absi⁴, Dorothy Hatsukami⁵, Sharon S Allen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Room 422, Minneapolis, MN, USA 55414. Electronic address: alle0299@umn.edu.
² Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
³ Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
⁴ Department of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Minnesota, DuluthDuluth, MN 55812, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
⁶ Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.

PMID: 25553511
PMCID: PMC4304933
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.12.008

Randomized Controlled Trial

Subjective response to nicotine by menstrual phase

Alicia M Allen et al. Addict Behav. 2015 Apr.

. 2015 Apr:43:50-3.

doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.12.008. Epub 2014 Dec 16.

Authors

Alicia M Allen¹, Scott Lunos², Stephen J Heishman³, Mustafa al'Absi⁴, Dorothy Hatsukami⁵, Sharon S Allen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Room 422, Minneapolis, MN, USA 55414. Electronic address: alle0299@umn.edu.
² Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
³ Nicotine Psychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
⁴ Department of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Minnesota, DuluthDuluth, MN 55812, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.
⁶ Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA.

PMID: 25553511
PMCID: PMC4304933
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.12.008

Abstract

Introduction: The luteal menstrual phase might be a favorable time for smoking cessation when non-nicotine interventions (e.g. counseling, bupropion) are used, whereas the follicular menstrual phase appears favorable when nicotine interventions are used. Thus, there may be an interaction between menstrual phase and response to nicotine. We sought to examine the role of menstrual phase on response to nicotine during acute smoking abstinence.

Methods: In this controlled cross-over trial, women completed two identical experimental sessions (follicular [F] vs. luteal [L] phase) after four days of biochemically-verified smoking abstinence. During the sessions, nicotine nasal spray was administered, and participants provided a series of subjective assessments.

Results: Participants (n=140) were 29.7±6.6years old and smoked 12.6±5.8 cigarettes per day. Compared to the F phase, the L phase was associated with a greater increase in stimulation (7.2±2.2 vs. 14.4±2.3, p=0.01, respectively) and greater decrease in urge to smoke (-13.6±2.3 vs. -21.1±2.5, p=0.02, respectively) after the first dose of nicotine. No other significant differences were observed.

Conclusions: Out of 13 total measures examined at two different time points, we observed only two significant menstrual phase differences in the subjective response to nicotine. Therefore, these data do not provide strong evidence for a menstrual phase difference in the subjective response to nicotine. Additional research is needed to confirm this relationship and explore how non-nicotine smoking reinforcements (such as sensory sensations) may vary by menstrual phase.

Keywords: Addiction; Hormones; Menstrual cycle; Nicotine; Smoking.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

1. al’Absi M, Hatsukami D, Davis GL. Attenuated adrenocorticotropic responses to psychological stress are associated with early smoking relapse. Psychopharmacology. 2005;181(1):107–17. doi: 10.1007/s00213-005-2225-3. - DOI - PubMed
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1. Allen AM, Hatsukami D, Oncken C. Women and Smoking: Gender Influces on the Epidemiology, Health Effects, and Cessation of Smoking. Current Addiction Reports n.d - PMC - PubMed
1. Allen SS, Allen AM, Kotlyar M, Lunos S, Al’absi M, Hatsukami D. Menstrual phase and depressive symptoms differences in physiological response to nicotine following acute smoking abstinence. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2013;15(6):1091–8. doi: 10.1093/ntr/nts236. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Subjective response to nicotine by menstrual phase

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Subjective response to nicotine by menstrual phase

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