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Nicotinic receptor blockade therapy and smoking cessation
1Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
British Journal of Addiction
|May 1, 1991
Summary
Smoking cessation methods often fail because they don't address conditioned behaviors. Nicotine blockade therapy offers a new approach by extinguishing the primary and secondary reinforcers associated with smoking.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Science
- Neuropharmacology
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Smoking behavior has a strong conditioned component.
- Existing smoking cessation methods inadequately address conditioned reinforcement, contributing to long-term failure.
- Primary and secondary reinforcers maintain smoking behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose nicotine blockade therapy as a novel smoking cessation strategy.
- To address the limitations of current cessation methods by targeting conditioned aspects of smoking.
Main Methods:
- Administration of centrally-active nicotinic receptor antagonists.
- Focus on extinguishing primary and secondary reinforcers of smoking.
Main Results:
- Nicotine blockade therapy has the potential to extinguish both primary and secondary smoking reinforcers.
- This approach targets the conditioned component of smoking behavior.
Conclusions:
- Nicotine blockade therapy is a promising new approach for smoking cessation.
- Effectively addressing conditioned reinforcers is crucial for long-term smoking cessation success.