study close-out

The purpose of this study is to see how the brain differs between smoking regularly and after not smoking for 24 hours. The investigators will be using an MRI machine to get the information from adult smokers and non-smokers while they lie in the scanner with their eyes closed. Smokers will be scanned when they have not smoked for 24 hrs and shortly after smoking. It is our hypothesis that brain activity will be altered after not smoking for 24 hours.

The broad objective of this proposal is to identify functional neuroanatomical correlates of changes in brain functional connectivity during smoking abstinence. The investigators will measure changes in regional blood oxygenation levels using fMRI while adult smokers and non-smokers lie in the scanner with their eyes closed. Smokers will be scanned when they are abstinent from smoking for 24 hrs and shortly after smoking. Our primary hypothesis is that smoking abstinence will alter resting state brain activity (or resting state functional connectivity; RSFC) across widely distributed neural networks and that high-resolution fMRI will help in resolving the exact nature of such changes. Data will be analyzed using methods developed in our laboratory and applied to other resting state datasets. All of the procedures used in the study are well validated and introduce only minor risk to participants (e.g. blood draw; MRI).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Right handed
• Drug free
• No known health problems
• Currently not taking any medication
• Uninterested in quitting smoking long term

Exclusion Criteria:

• Left handed/ambidextrous
• Currently taking medication
• Interested in quitting long term