Effects of Atomoxetine on Nicotine Abstinence Symptoms: Evaluating Atomoxetine on Nicotine Dependence Endophenotypes

One of the biggest public health problems worldwide is nicotine dependence. Currently available FDA-approved medications are successful in the treatment of nicotine dependence for only a small subset of smokers. Links between inattention and hyperactivity symptoms and smoking have been identified both in psychiatric and general populations. This book describes a human behavioral pharmacology study undertaken to evaluate the beneficial effects of the ADHD medication atomoxetine on nicotine abstinence symptoms. Smokers completed two 7-day medication phases comparing initial efficacy of atomoxetine (compared to placebo using double-blind design) on a variety of self-report questionnaires, cognitive and behavioral measures. Atomoxetine had beneficial effects on self-report measures (after abstinence) that are described in detail in this book. Such human laboratory research examining effects of novel medications on disease endophenotypes adds to the highly exciting field of early medication development in neuropsychiatry. This book would be of keen interest to individuals from the fields of psychiatry, neuroscience and behavioral pharmacology.