Prequit fMRI Responses to Pleasant Cues and Cigarette-Related Cues Predict Smoking Cessation Outcome

Abstract

Smokers with blunted brain responses to pleasant stimuli, relative to cigarette-related stimuli, had more difficulty quitting smoking. For these individuals, the lack of alternative forms of reinforcement when nicotine deprived might be an important factor underlying relapse. Normalizing these pathological neuroadaptations may help them achieve abstinence.