Working Memory Training on Delay Discounting Among Cigarette Smokers

NCT05210608 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY001476845KL2TR002367-05
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 13
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Despite widespread awareness of significant negative health consequences, cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the US (Creamer et al., 2019; Jamal, 2018). Moreover, the highest rate of smoking and heaviest burden of smoking-related illness occurs among low-socioeconomic status (SES) individuals relative to higher SES groups (Businelle et al., 2010; Clegg et al., 2009). Low SES individuals are also 40% less likely to succeed in quitting smoking when they attempt to do so (National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health, 2014). One potential explanation for the disparity in rate of smoking and successful quit attempts may be differences in individual rates of delay discounting (DD), i.e., the degree to which rewards loses their value as the delays to their receipt increase (Odum, 2011). A proposed way to reduce steep DD and, potentially, substance use has been computer training for working memory, which has shown favorable results in a sample of individuals with stimulant dependence (Bickel et al., 2011) and substance use broadly (Felton et al., 2019), with the latter even showing decreases in cigarette smoking in a subset of the sample.

Conditions

Tobacco Use Disorder/Cigarette Smoking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Delay Discounting

  Delay Discounting (DD) was measured via an established computerized binary choice task in which participants choose between an amount of money available immediately and larger amount of money available after a specified delay (1 day to 25 years). A computerized algorithm adjusts the immediately available reward across seven trials to determine an indifference point (k) for each amount/delay pairing. Indifference points are then used to calculate a rate of delay discounting for a $50, $200, $1,000 "larger later" sum. Larger scores mean greater delay discounting. While there is no strict minimum or maximum k-value, but in practical research settings, typical k-values often range from close to 0 for individuals who discount delayed rewards very slowly to values above 1 for those who heavily discount delayed rewards. There is no strict lower or upper bound, but values can be extremely high (above 1) if an individual very strongly prefers immediate rewards.

  Baseline, Post-treatment, 1 month follow up

• Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB): Number of Total Cigarettes Smoked Per Week

  The Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) for cigarette smoking is a self-report method used to assess an individual's smoking behavior over a specified period and specified as one week for this study. In this method, individuals are guided to recall their daily cigarette use by referencing events, routines, and cues that help them accurately track their smoking patterns. They are asked to document the number of cigarettes smoked each day, which provides a detailed, day-by-day account of their smoking habits. This data was then be summed to give a weekly total cigarettes smoked per week. The TLFB approach is valued for its reliability and ability to capture fluctuations in smoking behavior over time.

  Baseline, Post-treatment, 1 month follow up

• Carbon Monoxide Levels

  Participant reports of abstinence will be verified by expired carbon monoxide (\< 6 ppm cutoff for stated abstinence). CO levels are collected via a CO monitor.

  Baseline, Post-treatment, 1 month follow up

• Working Memory

  Working memory was assessed by adding the scores of 3 different working memory measures: 1) the total achievement score in the Tower of Hanoi, 2) the total recall score of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test- Revised and 3) the total scaled score of the Letter Number Sequencing. These measures are commonly used to assess working memory. In this study, the composite score of all measures ranged between 36 and 89 with higher scores representing greater working memory,

  Baseline, Post-treatment, 1 month follow up

Study Arms (1)

Working Memory Training + Behavioral Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will complete 10 sessions of a Working Memory Training. All participants will receive behavioral activation (a behavioral intervention for smoking cessation) and nicotine patches.

Behavioral: Working Memory Training + Behavioral Intervention

Interventions

Working Memory Training + Behavioral Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be randomized to complete 10 sessions of a Working Memory Training. All participants will receive behavioral activation (a behavioral intervention for smoking cessation) and nicotine patches.

Working Memory Training + Behavioral Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• $12,880
• $17,420
• $21,960
• $26,500
• $31,040
• $35,580
• $40,120
• $44,660
• add $4,540 for each additional person,
• OR they or their child(ren) utilize a federal program for low-income individuals, and are willing to participate in a 5-week working memory training program as a pretreatment adjunct to behavioral group + nicotine replacement therapy (NRT; via nicotine patches).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Kansas Medical Center: lead
• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Swope Health Center

Kansas City, Missouri, 64130, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tobacco Use Disorder; Cigarette Smoking

Interventions

Behavior Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Tobacco Smoking; Smoking; Behavior; Tobacco Use

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Anahi Collado, Assistant Research Professor
• Organization: University of Colorado-Boulder

anco7407@colorado.edu

3037354140

Study Officials

• Anahi Collado

  KU-Lawrence

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 14, 2022
• First Posted: January 27, 2022
• Study Start: November 30, 2021
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2022
• Study Completion: June 30, 2022
• Last Updated: February 24, 2025
• Results First Posted: February 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)