The influence of personality on nicotine craving: a hierarchical multivariate statistical prediction model

The present study proposes a hierarchical multivariate statistical prediction model which enables to determine the most prominent variables (physiological, biochemical and personality factors) related to nicotine craving and dopaminergic activation. Based on animal studies reporting a reduction of the rewarding effects of psychotropic drugs after blockade or destruction of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, changes in nicotine craving after pharmacological manipulation by means of a DA agonist (lisuride 0.2 mg) and a DA antagonist (fluphenazine 2 mg) were assessed in 36 healthy male heavy smokers. The major aim was the development of a multivariate prediction model which is applicable in samples lacking variance homogeneity or the prerequisite of a multivariate normal distribution. The model proposed is a combination of multivariate parametric and nonparametric methods taking advantage of their individual merits. Especially personality variables, such as sensation seeking, impulsivity, and neuroticism showed to be important predictors of craving in this responder approach.