Effects of transdermal nicotine patches on abstinence-induced and cue-elicited craving in cigarette smokers

The impact of a transdermal nicotine patch on smokers' craving for cigarett es and reactivity to smoking cues was investigated. Sixty-one smokers were assessed during 2 sessions separated by 6 hr. Cue reactivity to imaginal an d in vivo smoking and nonsmoking stimuli was evaluated during both sessions . During the interval between sessions, participants were abstinent from ci garettes and wore either a nicotine transdermal (21 mg) or placebo patch. I n both sessions, exposure to in vivo and imaginal smoking stimuli elicited cue-specific increases in craving, negative affect, vividness, heart rate, and skin conductance. The nicotine patch attenuated craving and other effec ts induced by abstinence from cigarettes but had no selective impact on cra ving or any other reaction elicited by smoking cues. These results are disc ussed in terms of models of craving and clinical implications of transderma l nicotine for craving reduction.