Intranasal oxytocin dampens cue-elicited cigarette craving in daily smokers: a pilot study

Abstract

Despite moderate success with pharmacological and behavioral treatments, smoking relapse rates remain high, and many smokers report that smoking cues lead to relapse. Therefore, treatments that target cue reactivity are needed. One candidate for reducing craving is the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT). Here, we investigated the effects of intranasal OT on two types of craving for cigarettes: craving following overnight abstinence and craving elicited by smoking-related cues. In this within-subject, placebo-controlled pilot study, smokers (N=17) abstained from smoking for 12 h before attending two sessions randomized to intranasal OT or placebo (i.e. saline nasal spray). On each session, participants received two doses of OT (20 IU) or placebo at 1-h intervals, and rated craving before and after each dose. Spontaneous cigarette craving was assessed after the first spray, and cue-elicited craving was assessed following the second spray. OT did not reduce levels of spontaneous craving after the first spray, but significantly dampened cue-induced smoking craving. These results provide preliminary evidence that OT can reduce cue-induced smoking craving in smokers. These findings provide an important link between preclinical and clinical studies aimed at examining the effectiveness of OT as a novel treatment for drug craving.

Figure 1

Smoking Craving on the S-TCQ Expectancy Scale in response to smoking cues following OT and placebo. Left panel: subjective craving on the S-TCQ Expectancy scale following the second OT and placebo administration (time 0 minutes). Shaded bar indicates cue exposure period. Right panel: change in ratings on the S-TCQ Expectancy before and after cues. Asterisk indicates a significant increase following placebo, p < 0.05. Capped bars indicate SEM.

Figure 2

Smoking Craving on the B-QSU Factor 1 Scale in response to smoking cues following OT and placebo. Left panel:subjective craving on the B-QSU Factor 1 scale following the second OT and placebo administration (time 0 minutes). Shaded bar indicates cue exposure period. Right panel: change in ratings on the S-TCQ Expectancy before and after cues. Asterisk indicates a significant increase following placebo, p < 0.05. Capped bars indicate SEM.

Figure 3

POMS Anxiety ratings in response to smoking cues following OT and placebo POMS Anxiety ratings in response to smoking cues following the second OT and placebo dose administration (time 0 minutes). Shaded bar indicates cue exposure period. Capped bars indicate SEM.