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Published on: August 6, 2013
Antipsychotic Treatment and Tobacco Craving in People With Schizophrenia
Heidi J Wehring1, Stephen J Heishman2, Robert P McMahon1
1a Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore , MD , USA.
Objective:
Nicotine dependence is high in schizophrenia, and craving is known to impact relapse during quit attempts.
Methods:
We compared tobacco craving in smokers with schizophrenia treated with different antipsychotics.
Results:
Mean craving scores were lowest in participants receiving first-generation antipsychotics, although these differences were not statistically significant. Craving with clozapine was not lower than with other antipsychotics.
Conclusions:
Further research is needed to determine whether differences in craving exist between antipsychotic classes.
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