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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
Smoking cue reactivity in current smokers, former smokers and never smokers
Leonie J T Balter1, Kimberley P Good1, Sean P Barrett1
1Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Canada; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Introduction:
Smoking related stimuli are known to increase both subjective craving and heart rate in smokers; however, little is currently known about the effects of such stimuli in former smokers.
Methods:
Subjective craving and heart rate were measured in 38 never smokers, 20 former smokers, and 30 current smokers exposed to video clips containing neutral and smoking related cues.
Results:
Compared with neutral cues, smoking cues significantly increased both heart rate and self-reported craving in current smokers, while in former smokers smoking cues were associated with a significant decrease in heart rate as well as with a relatively diminished increase in subjective craving. Neither craving nor heart rate was impacted by the smoking cues in never smokers.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that while smoking related stimuli continue to elicit modest subjective cravings in former smokers, there appears to be a marked change in the typical physiological response associated with such stimuli.
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