Neurofunctional alterations of cognitive down-regulation of craving in quitting motivated smokers

Cognitive down-regulation of craving involves a neural network within the prefrontal cortex. Tobacco use disorder (TUD) and trait impulsivity have been associated with prefrontal cortex impairments and down-regulation deficits. However, general deficits in down-regulation of craving (regarding non-drug-related cues) compared to never-smokers (NS), differential alterations between drug-related and non-drug-related cues, as well as its links to subject characteristics (smoking severity, trait impulsivity) have so far sparsely been investigated in TUD.

In this study, 78 subjects (37 TUD & 42 NS) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a down-regulation of craving task. Two reward cue-types were presented (drug cues and alternative rewards). Subjects applied down-regulation of craving during a LATER condition and up-regulated their craving during a NOW condition. Subjective craving ratings were assessed after each trial. To evaluate down-regulation of craving, we investigated the LATER versus NOW condition.

TUD subjects showed no differences in down-regulation on a behavioral level, neither compared to NS nor between the two reward cue-types. On a neurofunctional level, we found a stronger BOLD response in the middle temporal gyrus in TUD subjects compared to NS in the alternative reward condition. No differences between the two reward cue-types were found within TUD subjects. During down-regulation across both reward cue-types, we identified significant negative associations between activation of control areas and smoking severity.

Results neither indicate evidence for the expected general alterations in down-regulation of craving in TUD, compared to NS, nor specific alterations between drug-related and alternative reward cues on a neurofunctional level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).