Study of physiological measures elicited by emotional stimuli related to smoking among smokers and non-smokers

• Grant number: 15/25935-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: December 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: José Carlos Fernandes Galduroz
• Grantee: Talitha Mendes Silva
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cigarettes are one of the most consumed drugs in the world and it is associated with a high death toll. There are more than 6,000 substances in the cigarette, one being nicotine. Nicotine acts both in the central and peripheral nervous system, having diverse effects, and in high doses can cause deficits in concentration and memory. The lack of nicotine-dependent individuals causes the craving, which is the strong desire to take the substance. It may remain for long periods, increasing the likelihood of relapse. Thinking on that, studying ways to measure craving can help in determining the risk of relapse for both smoking and for other drugs. Physiological assessments as pupil size, skin conductance and heart rate are easily measurable and informative as to emotional and physiological effects provoked by drug abuse. The Emotional Stroop test can promote the stimuli related to the consumption by the reaction time of the analysis for the appointment of color in words spelled with emotional and neutral content, thus being able to relate the attentional bias and craving. Thus, the main objective of this project is to study the physiological responses between smokers and non-smokers in the Emotional Stroop task, relating to craving, which ultimately could be studied as an indicator for relapse prognosis. (AU)