Enhanced dopamine release by nicotine in cigarette smokers: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), published as a randomized controlled trial.

Previous studies of smoking on dopamine release in humans were investigated only in smokers.

Using nicotine gum, the researchers examined the effect of nicotine on dopamine release in smokers and non-smokers and its relation to the degree of nicotine dependence.

Who Took Part

PubMed tags the participants as men only.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover and pilot study.

Because people in this Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) could be set against what happens without it.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

They participated in two PET measurements with [11C]raclopride, in which they received either nicotine or placebo.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Dopamine, Dopamine Antagonists, Neostriatum, Nicotine, Nicotinic Agonists, Pilot Projects and Polymethacrylic Acids.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The publication is from 2008 (The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.