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CompletedNCT01123668Updated Nov 8, 2018

Neuroimaging of Smokers With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

An observational study in Smoking and ADHD, sponsored by Duke University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-11-08.

Sponsored by Duke University · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
101
Ages
18 Years to 50 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how nicotine, withdrawal from nicotine, and methylphenidate (a drug used for the treatment of ADHD) affect the brain of smokers with and without ADHD while doing tasks in an functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner.

Study Hypotheses:

  1. compared to non-ADHD smokers, smokers with ADHD will exhibit greater abstinence-induced decrements in response inhibition performance and reward and greater concomitant disruptions of brain activity
  2. administration of MPH to abstinent smokers will ameliorate response inhibition performance and reward deficits and task-related brain activation and this effect will be greater among ADHD smokers
  3. genetic markers of dopamine neurotransmission will moderate abstinence- and MPH - induced changes in task-related brain activation across tasks.
Read the detailed description

Individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) smoke more than the general population, initiate use at a younger age, and report more difficulty trying to quit. The overarching goal of the present application is to use neuroimaging, neuropharmacological and molecular genetic techniques to study the neurobiological basis of abstinence-induced deficits in response inhibition in ADHD and non-ADHD smokers. Twenty smokers with ADHD and 20 smokers without ADHD will undergo imaging during a Go/No-Go task under the following conditions: 1) smoking as usual, 2) 24 hr smoking abstinence, and 3) 24 hr smoking abstinence + methylphenidate (MPH). We hypothesize that compared to smoking as usual, 24 hr smoking abstinence will result in decrements in response inhibition and disruption of task-related brain activation. These effects will be greater in ADHD as compared to non-ADHD smokers. We further hypothesize that MPH administration during abstinence will restore performance and brain indices of response inhibition and that the magnitude of the effect of MPH will be greater among smokers with ADHD. In addition to the above aims, we will preliminarily evaluate the moderating effects of the dopamine receptor D4 7-repeat allele on task-related brain activation following smoking abstinence and MPH administration.

During the study, 101 subjects signed consents and 38 subjects completed the study.

02

Conditions studied

  • Smoking
  • ADHD

Keywords

  • Smoking
  • ADHD
  • Nicotine
  • Methylphenidate
  • function Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neurobiological basis of abstinence-induced deficits in response inhibition
03

In context

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

1,514 studies on the registry are indexed under Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; 255 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 101 is below the median of 127 across 267 observational studies indexed under Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity.

Browse Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity studies →

Lead sponsor

Duke University is the lead sponsor of 2,025 studies on the registry; 275 are open to participants now.

Of its 194 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 159 (82%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 50 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

120 voluntary participants to yield 40 Adult Regular Smokers, including 20 diagnosed with ADHD and 20 comparison controls.

Inclusion criteria

  1. generally healthy, between the ages of 18-50yrs,
  2. smoking at least 10 cigarettes/day of a brand delivering ≥0.5 mg nicotine according to the standard Federal Trade Commission (FTC) method,
  3. an expired Carbon Monoxide concentration of at least 10ppm (to confirm inhalation) or a positive urine cotinine test (Nicalert ™) of 3 or greater,
  4. no interest in quitting smoking as measured by self-report,
  5. right-handed as measured by a three item scale used in our laboratory.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. unable to attend all required experimental sessions,
  2. have significant health problems (e.g., chronic hypertension, emphysema, seizure disorders, history of significant heart problems),
  3. use of psychoactive medications with the exception of ADHD pharmacotherapies among ADHD diagnosed participants (see washout procedures below)
  4. use of smokeless tobacco
  5. current or past year alcohol or drug abuse,
  6. use of illegal drugs as measured by urine drug screen or self report
  7. current use of nicotine replacement therapy or other smoking cessation treatment,
  8. presence of conditions that would make MRI unsafe (e.g., pacemaker, metal objects in the body, IUD),
  9. if they are female and pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant.
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
101 participants (actual)
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • ADHD and non-ADHD Smokers

    Those that are defined as regular smokers (10 cigarettes/day or Carbon Monoxide reading of 10 ppm). The group will then be split into those diagnosed with ADHD/ADD and controls for comparison.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. To evaluate the effects of smoking abstinence on response inhibition brain function in smokers with and without ADHD.

    Smokers will undergo three functional Magnetic Resonance Image scanning sessions while performing a task that measures response inhibition (Go/Go/No-Go task) Scanning will take place in the following conditions: smoking as usual + placebo pill, 24 hr smoking abstinence + placebo pill and 24 hr abstinence + methylphenidate (MPH). Methylphenidate is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and its administration will allow us to evaluate the role of dopamine neurotransmission on response inhibition in the context of smoking abstinence.

    Time frame: July 2009 through December 2013

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Duke Child and Family Study Center//Duke Health Behavior Neuroscience Research Program
    Durham, North Carolina 27705, United States
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 8, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01123668
Lead sponsor
Duke University
Collaborators
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 14, 2010
Start date
Jul 2009
Primary completion
Aug 2014
Completion
Aug 2014
Last update
Nov 8, 2018

Study contacts

Francis J McClernon, Ph.D.
principal investigator · Duke Health

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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