The DOI matches its Crossref record; 55 of the 60 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 33 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition During Smoking Abstinence
Open accessAbstract
Background Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a key target in medication development efforts for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including nicotine dependence. Varenicline, a partial agonist at the α4β2 nAChRs, is a new efficacious medication for nicotine dependence. Its effects on the affective and cognitive dimensions of nicotine withdrawal have yet to be well characterized. Methods Sixty-seven treatment-seeking smokers were administered varenicline (× 21 days) and placebo (× 21 days) in a double-blind within-subject cross-over design. Following the medication run-up phase (days 1–10), there was a 3-day mandatory smoking abstinence phase (days 11–13) during which subjective symptoms and cognitive performance were assessed. Participants were re-exposed to a scheduled smoking lapse (day 14) and followed for days to lapse (days 15–21) in each medication period. Results In the varenicline period, compared to placebo, withdrawal symptoms (p=.04), smoking urges (p<.001), and negative affect (p=.01) were significantly reduced, and levels of positive affect (p=.046), sustained attention (p=.018) and working memory (p=.001) were significantly greater during mandatory abstinence. Varenicline also significantly reduced the subjective rewarding effects of the scheduled smoking lapse (e.g., satisfaction, relief, liking) (p=.003). Medication effects on days to lapse following the scheduled smoking lapse were dependent on treatment order (p=.001); among participants who received placebo in the first period, varenicline increased days of abstinence in the follow-up period. Conclusions These data identify novel affective and cognitive effects of varenicline, and may have implications for medication development for other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
In a double-blind within-subject crossover study of 67 treatment-seeking smokers, varenicline reduced withdrawal, urges, negative affect, and smoking reward while improving positive affect, sustained attention, and working memory during 3-day mandatory abstinence. Varenicline increased days to lapse only among participants who received placebo first, revealing an order-dependent effect.
Key findings
- During mandatory abstinence (days 11–13), varenicline vs placebo significantly reduced withdrawal symptoms (p=.04), smoking urges (p<.001), and negative affect (p=.013), and increased positive affect (p=.046); effects were small to moderate (Cohen’s d = 0.26–0.42).
- Varenicline improved cognitive performance: Letter-N-back correct reaction time (F=11.08, p=.001; d=0.21), Penn Continuous Performance Task true positives (F=7.28, p=.009; d=0.33), and CPT correct reaction time (F=5.86, p=.018); no medication effect was found for N-back true positives (p=.98) or the Conditional Exclusion Test.
- Varenicline attenuated the subjective rewarding value of the scheduled lapse cigarette (F=9.25, p=.003; d=0.36), including satisfaction (p=.002; d=0.43), relief (p=.006; d=0.34), and liking (p=.001; d=0.41).
- Days to lapse showed a significant treatment-by-order interaction (F=11.99, p=.001): among placebo-first participants, mean days to lapse were 4.63 (SD=2.86) with varenicline vs 2.57 (SD=2.94) with placebo (Z=3.16, p=.002; d=0.71); among varenicline-first participants, means were 4.19 (SD=3.04) vs 4.94 (SD=2.87) (Z=1.34, p=.18; d=−0.25). Side effects reported as moderate or severe by over 5% occurred in 55.2% (37/67) on varenicline vs 28.4% (19/67) on placebo at day 10.
Methods
- Double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover study of 67 treatment-seeking smokers (≥18 years, ≥10 cigarettes/day for previous 12 months; mean age 44.6 years, SD=11.6; 56.7% female; baseline mean 21.5 cigarettes/day, SD=10.0). Participants completed two 21-day medication periods (varenicline and placebo in counterbalanced order) with a 5–7 day washout; varenicline was titrated per standard guidelines, followed by a 10-day run-up, 3-day mandatory abstinence (days 11–13), scheduled smoking lapse (day 14), and follow-up days 15–21.
- Outcomes included subjective withdrawal symptoms, smoking urges, PANAS positive/negative affect, computerized neurocognitive tasks (Letter-N-back, Penn Continuous Performance Task, Conditional Exclusion Test) at baseline and day 13, Cigarette Evaluation Scale and Sensory Questionnaire after the lapse cigarette, CO-verified abstinence, medication adherence, and side-effect severity.
- Mixed effects models tested medication effects, controlling for sex, baseline cigarettes per day, and medication order; subjective models also included day 10 (smoking as usual) levels as a time-varying covariate, and neurocognitive models included baseline scores as a time-invariant covariate. Cohen’s d was calculated for raw varenicline–placebo differences.
Limitations
- The authors state that order effects were observed for the smoking abstinence outcome: varenicline increased days to lapse only among participants who received placebo first, not among those who received varenicline first. They suggest this may reflect greater self-efficacy after varenicline-induced abstinence success or longer-lasting nAChR modulation.
- The authors note recent reports of adverse psychiatric events with varenicline but state it is not possible to determine whether these events are partly attributable to nicotine withdrawal.
- Evident from the text: the abstinence phase was only 3 days and lapse follow-up only 7 days; several medication effects were small; the positive affect effect became nonsignificant when side-effect severity was included as a covariate (F=1.62, p=.21); side effects were more common on varenicline, which could affect blinding; and the sample excluded current or historical DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric disorders or substance abuse other than nicotine, limiting generalizability.
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
0 of 33 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“During the varenicline period, compared to placebo, participants reported lower levels of withdrawal symptoms (p=.04), smoking urges (p<.001), and negative affect (p=.013).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Subjective Outcomes
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“During the varenicline period, compared to placebo, participants reported lower levels of withdrawal symptoms (p=.04), smoking urges (p<.001), and negative affect (p=.013).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Subjective Outcomes
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Significant effects were observed for satisfaction (F = 10.05, p = .002; d = 0.43), relief (F = 8.12, p = .006; d = 0.34), and liking (F = 11.09, p = .001; d = 0.41).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Smoking Reward and Days to Lapse
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For days to lapse in the observation phase (days 15–21), there was a significant treatment by order interaction (F = 11.99, p = .001).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Smoking Reward and Days to Lapse
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Significant effects were observed for satisfaction (F = 10.05, p = .002; d = 0.43), relief (F = 8.12, p = .006; d = 0.34), and liking (F = 11.09, p = .001; d = 0.41).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Smoking Reward and Days to Lapse
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“compared to placebo, varenicline attenuated the subjective rewarding value of the scheduled lapse cigarette (day 14) (F = 9.25, p = .003; Cohen’s d = 0.36).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Smoking Reward and Days to Lapse
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Significant effects were observed for satisfaction (F = 10.05, p = .002; d = 0.43), relief (F = 8.12, p = .006; d = 0.34), and liking (F = 11.09, p = .001; d = 0.41).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Smoking Reward and Days to Lapse
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All significant effects of treatment on outcomes remained significant, with the exception of the treatment effect in the model of positive affect, which became nonsignificant when the side effect measure was included (F=1.62, p=.21).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Medication Adherence and Side Effects
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesA result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Levels of positive affect were also greater during the varenicline period compared to placebo (p=.046).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Subjective Outcomes
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Varenicline, a partial agonist at the α4β2 nAChRs, and a full agonist at the α7 nAChRs, is a new, efficacious treatment for nicotine dependence (4–6).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [4] Gonzales, 2006, Varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs sustained-release bupropion and placebo for smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA source
- Not checked yetcites [5] Jorenby, 2006, Efficacy of varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA source
- Not checked yetcites [6] Mihalak, 2006, Varenicline is a partial agonist at alpha4beta2 and a full agonist at alpha7 neuronal nicotinic receptors, Mol Pharmacol source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
- It may state two separate claims as one. 14
- The quote only partly states this claim. 1
- Probably not a substantial claim. 15
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Only baseline performance was significant in the models of CET true positives (p = .02) and correct reaction time (p < .001).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Neurocognitive Outcomes
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“in the model of CPT correct reaction time, there were effects of medication (F = 5.86, p = .018) and baseline performance (F = 117.1, p < .001).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Neurocognitive Outcomes
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesThe quote only partly states this claim.
- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
In the paper
“Varenicline, a partial agonist at the α4β2 nAChRs, and a full agonist at the α7 nAChRs, is a new, efficacious treatment for nicotine dependence (4–6).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [6] Mihalak, 2006, Varenicline is a partial agonist at alpha4beta2 and a full agonist at alpha7 neuronal nicotinic receptors, Mol Pharmacol source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are a key target of drug discovery efforts for nicotine dependence, as well as for neuropsychiatric conditions (3).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [3] Arneric, 2007, Neuronal nicotinic receptors: A perspective on two decades of drug discovery research, Biochem Pharmacol source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cronbach’s alphas for all scales ranged from .79 to .96.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Subjective Outcomes
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was administered by trained research technicians to screen for psychiatric and substance abuse disorders (21). Ten percent of MINI interviews were recorded and reviewed by a licensed clinician.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Procedures
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [21] Sheehan, 1998, The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI): The development and validation of a structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10, J Clin Psychiatry
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The models of neurocognitive outcomes included baseline scores as a time-invariant covariate.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Statistical Analysis
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Varenicline produces a moderate level of nAChR stimulation and lower sustained levels of dopamine release, thereby replacing some of nicotine’s effects (7).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [7] Coe, 2005, Varenicline: An alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist for smoking cessation, J Med Chem source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Aside from urges to smoke, the most common symptoms involve emotional dysregulation and cognitive deficits (13, 14).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
What the sources say
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Further, competitive nAChR binding should, theoretically, reduce nicotine reward (7, 8).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [7] Coe, 2005, Varenicline: An alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist for smoking cessation, J Med Chem source
- Not checked yetcites [8] Rollema, 2007, Rationale, pharmacology and clinical efficacy of partial agonists of alpha4beta2 nACh receptors for smoking cessation, Trends Pharmacol Sci source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“These trials document treatment-related reductions in smoking urges and withdrawal-related negative affect (4, 5, 9), as well as reduced smoking reward during a lapse (10).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [4] Gonzales, 2006, Varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs sustained-release bupropion and placebo for smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA source
- Not checked yetcites [5] Jorenby, 2006, Efficacy of varenicline, an alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial, JAMA source
- Not checked yetcites [9] West, 2008, Effect of varenicline and bupropion SR on craving, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, and rewarding effects of smoking during a quit attempt, Psychopharmacology (Berl) source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Depression symptoms are common among smokers and motivate smoking to reduce negative affect (44).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [44] Lerman, 1996, Investigation of mechanisms linking depressed mood to nicotine dependence, Addict Behav source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There were no significant differences in these variables by medication order, nor were there any differences in smoking rate during the two run up periods (all Ps>.20).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedn = 7Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“CO ≤ 10 ppm needed to confirm abstinence on days 11–13”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Procedures
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“All models controlled for sex, cigarettes per day at baseline, and order of medication phases.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Statistical Analysis
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The models of subjective outcomes also included day 10 (smoking as usual) levels of the measure as a time-varying covariate; thus, these models tested the effect of medication on changes in outcomes from pre-abstinence (day 10) to abstinence (mean of days 11–13).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Statistical Analysis
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“using validated computerized tasks: the Letter-N-back task of working memory (28), the Penn Continuous Performance Task (P-CPT) of sustained attention (29), and the Conditional Exclusion Test (CET) of abstraction in executive function (30, 31).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Neurocognitive Outcomes
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [28] Ragland, 2002, Working memory for complex figures: An fMRI comparison of letter and fractal n-back tasks, Neuropsychology source
- Not checked yetcites [29] Kurtz, 2001, Comparison of the continuous performance test with and without working memory demands in healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia, Schizophr Res source
- Not checked yetcites [30] Kurtz, 2004, The Penn Conditional Exclusion Test: A new measure of executive-function with alternate forms of repeat administration, Arch Clin Neuropsychol source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In this placebo-controlled double-blind crossover study, participants completed two 21-day medication periods (varenicline and placebo in counterbalanced order) and a 5–7 day washout period (four participants had longer washout periods due to scheduling issues) (see Figure 1).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Procedures
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In chronic smokers, abstinence from nicotine increases the availability of unbound α4β2 nAChRs, which in turn contributes to abstinence symptoms (35).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [35] Staley, 2006, Human tobacco smokers in early abstinence have higher levels of beta2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptors than nonsmokers, J Neurosci source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Mean adherence levels were 99.27% for the placebo period and 98.70% for the varenicline period (Z = 1.89, p = .06 by Wilcoxon test).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Results > Medication Adherence and Side Effects
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Participants who did not remain abstinent (n=3) were excluded.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Methods and Materials > Procedures
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedn = 3Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Data from the present study indicate that varenicline, a partial agonist at the α4β2 nAChRs, enhances mood and cognitive function during early abstinence from nicotine.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
In the paper
“Prior evidence for the cognitive enhancing effects of selective nAChR agonists suggests further that varenicline might have additional potential benefits in this area beyond those specific to nicotine withdrawal (52).”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [52] Mineur, 2007, Cytisine, a partial agonist of high-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, has antidepressant-like properties in male C57BL/6J mice, Neuropharmacology source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Furthermore, the data suggest two novel and potentially important clinical effects of varenicline, namely enhancement of positive affect and cognitive function.”
§ Varenicline Improves Mood and Cognition during Smoking Abstinence > Discussion
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
The 5–7 day washout period between the two medication periods was sufficient to eliminate carryover effects of varenicline.
“a 5–7 day washout period (four participants had longer washout periods due to scheduling issues)”
The paper relies on this without support.
The sample of treatment-seeking smokers is representative enough to generalize the study's findings to clinical populations of smokers attempting to quit.
“To increase the generalizability of results to the clinical setting, we enrolled treatment-seeking smokers (those planning to quit in the next 3 months) (19, 20).”
The paper relies on this without support.
The placebo capsule was indistinguishable from the active medication, so blinding was maintained.
“The placebo was a sucrose capsule that resembled the active medication (active medication was encapsulated also).”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Clinically, varenicline has demonstrated enhancement of both positive affect and cognitive function during smoking cessation (Patterson et al., 2009), and it was recently shown to augment the effects of antidepressants in depressed smokers (Philip et al., 2009).”
From Nicotinic Partial Agonists Varenicline and Sazetidine-A Have Differential Effects on Affective Behavior (2010) · cites this paper as Patterson et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“In clinical studies, administration of varenicline during smoking cessation results in the improvement of both positive affect and cognitive function (Patterson et al., 2009).”
From Nicotinic Partial Agonists Varenicline and Sazetidine-A Have Differential Effects on Affective Behavior (2010) · cites this paper as Patterson et al., 2009
Statistics recomputed
Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.
- Consistentz = 3.16reported p = .002 · recomputed p = .002
“(Z=3.16, p = .002”
- Consistentz = 1.34reported p = .18 · recomputed p = .180
“(Z=1.34, p = .18”
- Consistentz = 1.89reported p = .06 · recomputed p = .059
“(Z = 1.89, p = .06”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Reference cited before its stated publication date
MinorReference 22 dates the document to December 2007 but says it was cited on November 16, 2007, before that stated date.
“2007 December, 2007”
“[cited 2007 November 16, 2007]”
Citations
Cites
Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales.
Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063 · Cited by 32,433
(1998) · The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · Cited by 19,139
(1998) · PubMed · Cited by 10,216
Cohen, J. (1992) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037//0033-2909.112.1.155 · Cited by 8,771
The mini international neuropsychiatric interview
Lecrubier, Y., Sheehan, D. V., Hergueta, T., & Weiller, E. (1998) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0924-9338(99)80239-9 · Cited by 5,899
Addiction motivation reformulated: an affective processing model of negative reinforcement
Baker, T. B., Piper, M. E., McCarthy, D. E., Majeskie, M. R., & Fiore, M. C. (2004) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.111.1.33 · Cited by 2,162
Cox, L. S., Tiffany, S. T., & Christen, A. G. (2001) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1080/14622200020032051 · Cited by 1,188
Varenicline: An α4β2 Nicotinic Receptor Partial Agonist for Smoking Cessation
Coe, J. W., Brooks, P. R., Vetelino, M. G., Wirtz, M. C., Arnold, E. P., Huang, J., Sands, S. B., Davis, T. I., Lebel, L. A., Fox, C. B., et al. (2005) · Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1021/jm050069n · Cited by 930
Flagged first, then by citations
5 of the 60 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Westman, 1992, Smoking while wearing the nicotine patch: Is smoking satisfying or harmful?, Clin Res, 40, 871A
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 222
Effect of varenicline on aspects of inhibitory control in smokers
Austin, A. J., Duka, T., Rusted, J. M., & Jackson, A. (2014) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-014-3512-7 · Cited by 23
Effects of bupropion on cognitive performance during initial tobacco abstinence
Perkins, K. A., Karelitz, J. L., Jao, N. C., Gur, R. C., & Lerman, C. E. (2013) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.05.003 · Cited by 24
Self-citationHussmann, G. P., DeDominicis, K. E., Turner, J. R., Yasuda, R. P., Klehm, J., Forcelli, P. A., Xiao, Y., Richardson, J. R., Sahibzada, N., Wolfe, B. B., et al. (2014) · Journal of Neurochemistry · doi:10.1111/jnc.12653 · Cited by 23
“Nicotine, varenicline, and saz-A have been reported to produce effects consistent with anxiolytic and/or antidepressant activity in rodents (Patterson et al. 2009; Kozikowski et al. 2009; Turner et al. 2010, 2011).”
Sutherland, M. T., Carroll, A. J., Salmeron, B. J., Ross, T. J., Hong, L. E., & Stein, E. A. (2012) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.10.043 · Cited by 20
“In the clinic, varenicline reduces abstinence-induced affective and cognitive disturbances as well as the subjective rewarding aspects of a smoked cigarette (Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundNicotine Receptor Subtype-Specific Effects on Auditory Evoked Oscillations and Potentials
Featherstone, R. E., Phillips, J. M., Thieu, T., Ehrlichman, R. S., Halene, T. B., Leiser, S. C., Christian, E. P., Johnson, E., Lerman, C. E., & Siegel, S. J. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039775 · Cited by 21
“At present the mechanism by which nicotine enhances P20 amplitude is not entirely clear, although both a7 and a4b2 nicotinic receptors have been implicated [21,22,23,24,25,26,27].”
BackgroundSelf-citationPerkins, K. A., Mercincavage, M., Fonte, C. A., & Lerman, C. E. (2010) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-010-1816-9 · Cited by 23
“2008) or attenuating impairments in mood and cognition during abstinence (Patterson et al. 2009).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialSelf-citationVarenicline-Induced Elevation of Dopamine in Smokers: A Preliminary [11C]-(+)-PHNO PET Study
Ciano, P. D., Guranda, M., Lagzdins, D., Tyndale, R. F., Gamaleddin, I., Selby, P. L., Boileau, I., & Foll, B. L. (2015) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2015.305 · Cited by 23
Ponzoni, L., Braida, D., Carboni, L., Moretti, M., Viani, P., Clementi, F., Zoli, M., Gotti, C., & Sala, M. (2020) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104941 · Cited by 23
Possible New Symptoms of Tobacco Withdrawal III: Reduced Positive Affect—A Review and Meta-analysis
Klemperer, E. M., Hughes, J. R., Peasley‐Miklus, C., CALLAS, P. W., Cook, J. W., Streck, J. M., & Morley, N. E. (2020) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa044 · Cited by 22
van Amelsvoort, T., & Hernaus, D. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00082 · Cited by 21
McCaul, M. E., Wand, G. S., Kuwabara, H., Dannals, R. F., Wong, D. F., & Xu, X. (2019) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntz080 · Cited by 24
Why are Antidepressant Drugs Effective Smoking Cessation Aids?
Shoaib, M. C., & Buhidma, Y. (2017) · Current Neuropharmacology · doi:10.2174/1570159x15666170915142122 · Cited by 22
Varenicline for tobacco dependence: panacea or plight?
Williams, J. M., Steinberg, M. B., Steinberg, M. L., Gandhi, K. K., Ulpe, R., & Foulds, J. (2011) · Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy · doi:10.1517/14656566.2011.587121 · Cited by 19
“[65] found varenicline to reduce ratings of cigarette satisfaction, relief and liking during a scheduled smoking lapse.”
Nicotine withdrawal-induced inattention is absent in alpha7 nAChR knockout mice
Higa, K. K., Grim, A., Kamenski, M. E., van Enkhuizen, J., Zhou, X., Li, K., Naviaux, J. C., Wang, L., Naviaux, R. K., Geyer, M. A., et al. (2017) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-017-4572-2 · Cited by 20
“Importantly, nicotine administration can improve cognitive dysfunction during tobacco withdrawal, as can varenicline, a partial agonist of α4β2 and full agonist of α7 nAChRs (Patterson et al. 2009; Ashare and McKee 2012).”
Leeman, R. F., Bogart, D., Fucito, L. M., & Boettiger, C. A. (2014) · Current Addiction Reports · doi:10.1007/s40429-013-0008-1 · Cited by 19
Mouse model predicts effects of smoking and varenicline on event-related potentials in humans
Rudnick, N. D., Strasser, A. A., Phillips, J. M., Jepson, C., Patterson, F., Frey, J. M., Turetsky, B. I., Lerman, C. E., & Siegel, S. J. (2010) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntq049 · Cited by 17
“…nicotine replacement (NRT), bupropion, and varenicline reduce withdrawal symptoms and smoking urges while improving mood and cognitive function (Patterson et al., 2009; Rahman, Lopez-Hernandez, Corrigall, & Papke, 2008; Shiffman, Ferguson, Gwaltney, Balabanis, & Shadel, 2006; Shiffman et al.,…”
BackgroundSelf-citationPerkins, K. A., Chengappa, K. N. R., Karelitz, J. L., Boldry, M. C., Michael, V., Herb, T., Gannon, J. M., Brar, J. S., Ford, L., Rassnick, S., et al. (2017) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2017.292 · Cited by 20
“…developing this compound was to attenuate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia (Winterer et al, 2013), which can also occur upon smoking abstinence (Patterson et al, 2009, 2010), we assessed two measures of cognitive performance, the Letter-N-back task of working memory (Ragland et al, 2002), and…”
MethodSelf-citationDoran, N., Dubrava, S., & Anthenelli, R. M. (2018) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/nty033 · Cited by 20
Is a cancer diagnosis a teachable moment for the patient’s relative who smokes?
Schnoll, R. A., Wileyto, E. P., Leone, F. T., Langer, C. J., Lackman, R. D., & Evans, T. L. (2013) · Cancer Causes & Control · doi:10.1007/s10552-013-0212-2 · Cited by 21
“(approved when this trial began), would have yielded different results, especially since varenicline can mitigate abstinence-induced negative affect [42].”
Laikowski, M. M., Reisdorfer, F., & Moura, S. (2018) · Current Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.2174/0929867325666180410105135 · Cited by 17
Varenicline use in patients with mental illness: an update of the evidence
Purvis, T. L., Nelson, L. A., & Mambourg, S. (2010) · Expert Opinion on Drug Safety · doi:10.1517/14740331003657133 · Cited by 19
“5 Varenicline use in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Several reports also suggest selective a4b2 nicotinic partial agonists may play a role in not only improving sustained attention and working memory [68], but also in the management of ADHD.”
BackgroundGass, J. C., Wray, J. M., Hawk, L. W., Mahoney, M. C., & Tiffany, S. T. (2012) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-012-2698-9 · Cited by 19
“In smoking treatment studies, varenicline has reduced cigarette craving relative to placebo during abstinence from smoking (Gonzales et al. 2006; Nides et al. 2006; Patterson et al. 2009; Tonstad et al. 2006).”
Ravva, P., Gastonguay, M. R., Faessel, H. M., Lee, T. C., & NIAURA, R. S. (2014) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu154 · Cited by 16
“Similar findings have been reported from laboratory investigations with varenicline when self-reporting smoking reward was assessed immediately after smoking (Brandon et al., 2011; Patterson et al., 2009; Perkins, Mercincavage, Fonte, & Lerman, 2010).”
ResultRoberts, W., & McKee, S. A. (2018) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/pha0000161 · Cited by 18
“Although it is established that varenicline improves cognitive functioning in smokers (Hong et al., 2011; Patterson et al., 2009; Rhodes, Hawk, Ashare, Schlienz, & Mahoney, 2012; Smith et al., 2009), many of these studies are conducted in physically dependent smokers who are attempting to quit or…”
Kalechstein, A. D., Mahoney, J. J., Verrico, C. D., & Garza, R. D. L. (2014) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.05.045 · Cited by 17
“Specifically, and concordant with the findings from this study, varenicline, titrated up to 2 mg over 13e21 days, enhanced reaction time on the n-back in treatment-seeking smokers (Loughead et al., 2010; Patterson et al., 2009).”
Biomarkers to Optimize the Treatment of Nicotine Dependence
Schnoll, R. A., & Leone, F. T. (2011) · Biomarkers in Medicine · doi:10.2217/bmm.11.91 · Cited by 17
Ashare, R. L., Valdez, J. N., Ruparel, K., Albelda, B., Hopson, R. D., Keefe, J. R., Loughead, J., & Lerman, C. E. (2013) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-013-3197-3 · Cited by 17
“Moreover, nicotine reexposure and efficacious medications for nicotine dependence reverse abstinence-induced cognitive impairments in animals and human smokers (Davis et al. 2005; Myers et al. 2008; Patterson et al. 2009; Portugal and Gould 2007; Raybuck et al. 2008).”
Self-citationTime dependency of craving and response inhibition during nicotine abstinence
Tsaur, S., Strasser, A. A., Souprountchouk, V., Evans, G. C., & Ashare, R. L. (2014) · Addiction Research & Theory · doi:10.3109/16066359.2014.953940 · Cited by 17
“For instance, the smoking cessation medication, varenicline, has been shown to alleviate cognitive deficits following 72 h of abstinence (Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationBaiamonte, B. A., Stickley, S. C., & Ford, S. J. (2016) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2016.1172745 · Cited by 17
“…Bizarro 2005) and human models (Ashare and Hawk 2012; Harrison, Coppola, and McKee 2009; Hendricks et al. 2006; Hughes 2007) of nicotine withdrawal have exhibited deficits in attention tasks with minimal improvements from nicotine replacement therapies (Myers et al. 2008; Patterson et al. 2009).”
Varenicline effects on cocaine self administration and reinstatement behavior
Guillem, K., & Peoples, L. L. (2010) · Behavioural Pharmacology · doi:10.1097/fbp.0b013e328336e9c5 · Cited by 17
“A number of preclinical issues that will be of interest in future studies of the low-dose varenicline effects, in addition to the specific underlying pharmacological mechanism of action, include the following: (i) whether the acute effects of varenicline observed in this study generalize to chronic varenicline exposur…”
BackgroundResultSmoke and mirrors: The overnight abstinence paradigm as an index of disrupted cognitive function
Rhodes, J. D., & Hawk, L. W. (2016) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4227-8 · Cited by 16
“For each cognitive outcome, we computed the test-retest correlation (and 95 % confidence interval (CI)) between the abstinence effect difference scores from visit pairs 1 and 2.”
BackgroundMethodSansores, R. H., Ramírez‐Venegas, A., Arellano-Rocha, R., Noé-Díaz, V., García‐Gómez, L., Pérez-Bautista, O., & Velázquez-Uncal, M. (2016) · Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease · doi:10.1177/1753465816654823 · Cited by 16
Simmons, S. J., & Gould, T. J. (2014) · Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics · doi:10.1111/jcpt.12171 · Cited by 18
“Varenicline has been shown to be effective at reducing both craving and the reward associated with smoking in abstaining smokers.(140,143,144) The ability of varenicline to reduce the reward associated with smoking could be due to its activity on the mesolimbic DA system.”
BackgroundAshare, R. L., Wileyto, E. P., Ruparel, K., Goelz, P. M., Hopson, R. D., Valdez, J. N., Gur, R. C., Loughead, J., & Lerman, C. E. (2013) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.09.003 · Cited by 16
“There were no signals for medication effects on smoking rate, subjective craving, withdrawal, or mood, using measures that have been previously validated as sensitive to effects of medications efficacious for smoking cessation (Patterson et al., 2009).”
MethodSelf-citationTranslational Research on Nicotine Dependence
Falcone, M., Lee, B., Lerman, C. E., & Blendy, J. A. (2015) · Current topics in behavioral neurosciences · doi:10.1007/7854_2015_5005 · Cited by 15
“placebo) in a double-blind, within-subject crossover design (Patterson et al. 2009).”
BackgroundSelf-citationVerplaetse, T. L., Pittman, B. P., Shi, J. M., Tetrault, J. M., Coppola, S., & McKee, S. A. (2016) · Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research · doi:10.1111/acer.13110 · Cited by 16
“Abstinent smokers taking varenicline showed greater improved sustained attention and working memory compared with placebo (Patterson et al., 2009).”
InfluentialWang, C., Huang, P., Shen, Z., Qian, W. P., Wang, S., Jiaerken, Y., Luo, X., Li, K., Zeng, Q., Zhou, C., et al. (2020) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.12919 · Cited by 13
Batsikadze, G., Paulus, W., Hasan, A., Grundey, J., Kuo, M., & Nitsche, M. A. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01428-6 · Cited by 16
Versace, F., Stevens, E. M., Robinson, J. D., Cui, Y., Deweese, M. M., Engelmann, J. M., Green, C. E., Karam‐Hage, M., Lam, C. Y., Minnix, J. A., et al. (2017) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx264 · Cited by 14
Esaki, H., Deyama, S., Izumi, S., Katsura, A., Nishikawa, K., Nishitani, N., & Kaneda, K. (2023) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109672 · Cited by 13
Neurocognitive Function as a Treatment Target for Tobacco Use Disorder
Robinson, C. D., Waters, A. J., Kang, N. S., & Sofuoglu, M. (2017) · Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports · doi:10.1007/s40473-017-0105-x · Cited by 13
Neurocognitive Disorders in Substance Use Disorders
Ekhtiari, H., Zare-Bidoky, M., & Verdejo‐García, A. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-36391-8_81 · Cited by 10
Zaccarelli‐Magalhães, J., Sandini, T. M., Abreu, G., Petrocelli, B. M., Moreira, N. C. D. S., Reis-Silva, T. M., Lebrun, I., Flório, J. C., Ricci, E. L., Fukushima, A. R., et al. (2019) · Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2019.03.009 · Cited by 12
Hitsman, B. L., Papandonatos, G. D., Gollan, J. K., Huffman, M. D., NIAURA, R. S., Mohr, D. C., Veluz‐Wilkins, A. K., Lubitz, S. F., Hole, A. V., Leone, F. T., et al. (2023) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.16209 · Cited by 12
Brandon, T. H., Unrod, M., Drobes, D. J., Sutton, S. K., Hawk, L. W., Simmons, V. N., Brandon, K. O., Roetzheim, R. G., Meltzer, L. R., Miller, R. R., et al. (2017) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntx203 · Cited by 11
Perkins, K. A., & Lerman, C. E. (2011) · Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1038/clpt.2010.254 · Cited by 11
Self-citationLeach, P. T., Holliday, E. D., Kutlu, M. G., & Gould, T. J. (2014) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu229 · Cited by 12
Ci̇nemre, B., Akdag, S. T., Metin, Ö., & Baysal, Ö. D. (2010) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852900000407 · Cited by 10
Cognitive deficits specific to depression-prone smokers during abstinence.
Ashare, R. L., Strasser, A. A., Wileyto, E. P., Cuevas, J., & Audrain-McGovern, J. E. (2014) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/a0037072 · Cited by 10
“With respect to the N-back task, we did not find significant abstinence effects on RT, which is in contrast to previous studies in our lab (Patterson et al., 2010; Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundResultSelf-citationReduced affective symptoms during tobacco dependence treatment with varenicline
Grosshans, M., Mutschler, J., Hermann, D., Mann, K. F., & Diehl, A. (2009) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02537.x · Cited by 10
McGregor, A. L., D’Souza, G. X., Kim, D., & Tingle, M. D. (2016) · Neuropharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.021 · Cited by 11
Carroll, A. J., Kim, K. N., Miele, A., Olonoff, M., Leone, F. T., Schnoll, R. A., & Hitsman, B. L. (2019) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.04.003 · Cited by 10
“, 2016) and ameliorates abstinenceinduced changes in affect (Doran et al., 2018; Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundPharmacological cognitive enhancers
Peltier, M. R., & Sofuoglu, M. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-815298-0.00023-x · Cited by 9
Novick, A. M., Duffy, K. A., Johnson, R. L., Sammel, M. D., Cao, W., Strasser, A. A., Sofuoglu, M., Kuzma, A., Loughead, J., Morrow, A. L., et al. (2022) · Biology of Sex Differences · doi:10.1186/s13293-022-00472-w · Cited by 9
Self-citationGournay, L. R., Petry, J., Bilsky, S. A., Hill, M. A., Feldner, M. T., Peters, E. N., Bonn‐Miller, M. O., & Leen‐Feldner, E. W. (2023) · Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · doi:10.1089/can.2022.0317 · Cited by 11
Sofuoglu, M., Herman, A. I., Robinson, C. D., & Waters, A. J. (2014) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-418679-8.00012-5 · Cited by 8
α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and depression: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic prospects
Wang, C., Gan, D., Hong, Z., Feng, H., Wu, Y., Xu, G., Xun, T., & Yang, X. (2025) · Neurobiology of Disease · doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2025.107122 · Cited by 8
Pandria, N., Athanasiou, A., Styliadis, C., Terzopoulos, N., Mitsopoulos, K., Paraskevopoulos, E., Karagianni, M. A., Pataka, A., Kourtidou‐Papadeli, C., Makedou, K., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1096122 · Cited by 8
“Cognitive manifestations of abstinence seem to be reversed either by re-exposing deprived smokers to nicotine or by providing smoking cessation treatment (Davis et al., 2005; Portugal and Gould, 2007; Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundSchuster, R. M., Pachas, G. N., Stoeckel, L. E., Cather, C., Nadal-Vicens, M. F., Mischoulon, D., Schoenfeld, D., Zhang, H., Ulysse, C. A., Dodds, E. B., et al. (2018) · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1097/jcp.0000000000000919 · Cited by 8
“Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer H agonist, also improves nicotine withdrawal–associated deficits in learning and memory.(53,101) Although encenicline has been shown to have procognitive effects at low single-dose nanomolar concentrations,(70) it is possible that the 1-mg dose administered in this study was insufficien…”
Johnstone, S., Sorkhou, M., Rabin, R. A., & George, T. P. (2022) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109412 · Cited by 8
Calakos, K. C., Hillmer, A. T., Anderson, J. M., LeVasseur, B., Baldassarri, S. R., Angarita, G. A., Matuskey, D., Kapinos, M., Zheng, M., Huang, Y. H., et al. (2023) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/s41386-023-01535-1 · Cited by 8
“Indeed, 3–4 week interventions that either increase acetylcholine levels or target the β2*-nAChR system specifically demonstrated pro-cognitive effects in people who smoke [54, 55].”
BackgroundJhanjee, S., Jain, R., Jain, V., Gupta, T., Mittal, S., Goelz, P. M., & Schnoll, R. A. (2015) · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs · doi:10.1080/02791072.2015.1075092 · Cited by 7
“Varenicline’s agonist function is thought to minimize nicotine craving and withdrawal, while its antagonist properties are expected to attenuate the reinforcing effects of nicotine, thereby reducing pleasure from a “slip” cigarette and the likelihood of relapse (Foulds et al. 2006; Patterson et al. 2009).”
BackgroundKutlu, M. G., Tumolo, J. M., Cann, C., & Gould, T. J. (2018) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-018-4837-4 · Cited by 6
“However, there are reports showing that these compounds have cognitive and emotional effects in humans (Patterson et al. 2009; Loughead et al. 2010).”
Muench, C., Malloy, E. J., & Juliano, L. M. (2020) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/ccp0000605 · Cited by 7
“…risk, that post-lapse increases in craving partially mediated lapse effects (Shadel et al., 2011), and that the smoking medication varenicline decreased the subjective rewarding effects of the lapse, as well as relapse risk (McClure, Vandrey, Johnson, & Stitzer, 2013; Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundSleep quality and health among pregnant smokers
Danilov, M., Issany, A., Mercado, P., Haghdel, A., Muzayad, J. K., & Wen, X. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine · doi:10.5664/jcsm.9868 · Cited by 7
“46”
Ahmed, S., Reena, R., Hussain, N., Ahmed, R., Amin, S., Ahmed, S. I., & Washdave (2015) · International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience · doi:10.4172/1522-4821.1000135 · Cited by 4
“In addition to smoking cessation without worsening psychiatric illness, Varenicline has an aiding effect that produces improvement in ones mood and cognitive function (Patterson et al., 2009; Smith et al., 2009).”
BackgroundNot all smokers are alike: the hidden cost of sustained attention during nicotine abstinence
Deshpande, H. U., Fedota, J. R., Castillo, J., Salmeron, B. J., Ross, T. J., & Stein, E. A. (2022) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/s41386-022-01275-8 · Cited by 4
“Specifically, only small to medium effect size deficits have been reported for attention and WM [72], response inhibition [73], attention and response inhibition [74].”
BackgroundZaso, M. J., & Hendershot, C. S. (2022) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.13218 · Cited by 5
“Varenicline, a partial nicotinic acetylcholine α4β2 receptor agonist, has been shown to reduce nicotine's reinforcing effects(6) and relieve withdrawal symptoms during smoking abstinence.(7) Bupropion was initially developed as a non-tricyclic antidepressant.”
BackgroundThe Effects of Nicotine on Learning and Memory
Gould, T. J. (2014) · The Receptors · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-1167-7_11 · Cited by 5
Mecamylamine for Treatment of People With Dual Diagnoses of Depression and Alcohol Dependence
Ralevski, E., Jane, J. S., O’Brien, E. M., Edens, E. L., Arnaout, B., Kerfoot, K. E., Keegan, K. A., Weiner, J., Russo, M., & Petrakis, I. L. (2013) · Journal of Dual Diagnosis · doi:10.1080/15504263.2013.835163 · Cited by 6
“Although varenicline has been effective in improving depressed mood (Gonzales, Rennard, & Nides, 2006; Jorenby et al., 2006; Patterson et al., 2009), some studies have reported exacerbation of psychotic symptoms and depression (Freedman, 2007; Kohen & Kreman, 2007; Moore, Furberg, Glenmullen, Maltsberger, & Singh, 201…”
BackgroundKady, A., Grodin, E. N., & Ray, L. A. (2024) · Alcohol and Alcoholism · doi:10.1093/alcalc/agae044 · Cited by 4
Acetylcholine and Depression: Scrutinizing Future Therapeutic Targets for Novel Drug Development
Pannu, A. S., & Goyal, R. K. (2024) · Current Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.2174/0127724328311930240907133618 · Cited by 5
Forcén, F. E., Martinez, F., & Moya, A. (2011) · Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses · doi:10.3371/csrp.5.4.7 · Cited by 4
Falcone, M., Loughead, J., & Lerman, C. E. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20992-6_4 · Cited by 5
Self-citationEffectiveness of Bupropion and Varenicline for Smokers With Baseline Depressive Symptoms
Zhang, H., Gilbert, E., Hussain, S., Veldhuizen, S., Foll, B. L., Selby, P. L., & Zawertailo, L. A. (2022) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntac288 · Cited by 5
Can repetitive mental simulation of smoking engender habituation?
Audrain-McGovern, J. E., Strasser, A. A., & Wileyto, E. P. (2016) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/pha0000099 · Cited by 3
“Several smoking cessation medications are thought to prevent a lapse from escalating into a relapse through similar processes (Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundSelf-citationImproved sleep as an adjunctive treatment for smoking cessation
Patterson, F., & Ashare, R. L. (2019) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-815373-4.00022-8 · Cited by 5
Self-citationFraile‐Μartinez, O., Montero, C. G., Ortega, M. A., Varaona, A., Gutiérrez-Rojas, L., Álvarez‐Mon, M., & Álvarez-Mon, M. Á. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13151783 · Cited by 3
“In controlled trials, it significantly reduced subjective withdrawal symptoms and negative mood while enhancing positive affect and cognitive function during abstinence [35].”
Baran, X. Y., & Docherty, J. P. (2010) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852900027401 · Cited by 3
Johnstone, S., Cooper, R. K., Wray, J. M., Tonkin, S., Knapp, K. S., Colder, C. R., Maguin, E., Mahoney, M. C., Tiffany, S. T., Brandon, T. H., et al. (2025) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.16772 · Cited by 4
Theng, Y. M., Wahab, S. B., Wahab, N. A. A., Sidi, H., & Das, S. (2017) · Current Drug Targets · doi:10.2174/1389450118666171017163741 · Cited by 3
Advances in nicotine research in Addiction Biology
Bernardi, R. E. (2015) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.12269 · Cited by 3
“This study again demonstrates the contribution of the ACC in nicotine dependence and further confirms that the effects of varenicline during nicotine abstinence partially include improvements in cognition (Patterson et al. 2009, 2010).”
BackgroundNicotine Withdrawal and Attentional Deficit Studies Across Species
van Enkhuizen, J., & Young, J. W. (2016) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802574-1.00002-8 · Cited by 3
Neuroimaging Insights Into the Multifaceted Nature of the Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrome
Sutherland, M. T., Yanes, J. A., & Stein, E. A. (2016) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802574-1.00018-1 · Cited by 1
Panagopoulos, V. N., Bailey, A., Kostopoulos, G., & Ioannides, A. A. (2024) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-024-06556-2 · Cited by 3
“Nicotine and, contingent upon the task/condition, varenicline seem to be able to mitigate these changes (Kahler et al. 2002; Patterson et al. 2008, 2009a) suggesting a common mechanism of action presumably via the α4b2-Ach-M receptors.”
BackgroundInfluentialTransdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Centers: Research achievements and future implications
Baker, T. B., Cummings, K. M., Hatsukami, D. K., Johnson, C. A., Lerman, C. E., NIAURA, R. S., & O’Malley, S. S. (2009) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntp112 · Cited by 2
Self-citationTreatment of Depression in a Former Smoker With Varenicline? A Case Report and Discussion
Kausch, O. (2014) · Journal of Neuropsychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.neuropsych.13030045 · Cited by 2
Nahvi, S., & Arnsten, J. H. (2018) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.02.001 · Cited by 2
“…without SUD, varenicline has been associated with suppression of depression (Cinciripini et al., 2013; Foulds et al., 2013; Plebani et al., 2013; Stein et al., 2013), reduced smoking reward (Cinciripini et al., 2013), and decreased negative affect (Cinciripini et al., 2013; Patterson et al., 2009).”
BackgroundCurrent Pharmacotherapies for Smoking Cessation and Promising Emerging Drugs
Dodd, S., Harper, J., & Berk, M. (2023) · Current Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.2174/0127724328274939231121114142 · Cited by 1
Novel and Investigational Drugs in Depression
Shapiro, D. N., & Stahl, S. M. (2014) · International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal · doi:10.9734/indj/2014/11590 · Cited by 1
“conducted a doubleblind, placebo, crossover smoking cessation study and found that during abstinence, smokers on varenicline demonstrated significantly lower levels of negative affect and significantly greater levels of positive affect [85].”
BackgroundSutherland, M. T., Ray, K. L., Riedel, M. C., Yanes, J. A., Stein, E. A., & Laird, A. R. (2014) · Cited by 1
Gründer, G. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-19844-1_61 · Cited by 1
A Multinomial Processing Tree Model of the 2-back Working Memory Task
Lee, M. D., Mistry, P. K., & Menon, V. (2022) · Computational Brain & Behavior · doi:10.1007/s42113-022-00138-1 · Cited by 1
Neurobiology and Mechanisms of Nicotine Addiction
Gogineni, H. P., Sachs, D. P. L., & Brunzell, D. H. (2023) · Respiratory medicine · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-24914-3_3 · Cited by 2
A Little “Re-Cognition” Goes a Long Way for Pro-Cognitive Therapeutics in Alcohol Studies
Salling, M. C., & Pleil, K. E. (2024) · Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics · doi:10.1124/jpet.123.002058 · Cited by 1
Johnstone, S., Cooper, R. K., Wray, J. M., Tonkin, S., Knapp, K. S., Colder, C. R., Maguin, E., Mahoney, M. C., Tiffany, S. T., Brandon, T. H., et al. (2025) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaf100 · Cited by 1
Pakhomov, S., Teeple, W., Mills, A. M., & Kotlyar, M. (2016) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/pha0000089 · Cited by 1
“…therapy, bupropion, varenicline) have been shown to reverse (at least, in part) nicotine withdrawal related cognitive deficits (Ashare & McKee, 2012; Atzori, Lemmonds, Kotler, Durcan, & Boyle, 2008; Loughead et al., 2010; Myers, Taylor, Moolchan, & Heishman, 2008; Patterson et al., 2009).”
Wang, S. (2010) · Library and Archives Canada (Government of Canada) · Cited by 1
Ayoub, S. M., Dexter, T., Noback, M. N., Flesher, M. M., Achim, C. L., Fields, J. A., Minassian, A., Brody, A. L., & Young, J. W. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.05.03.651604 · Cited by 1
Pharmakologische und nicht-pharmakologische Effekte auf die Kognition
Both, C. (2013) · Univ. Duesseldorf: Duesseldorfer Dokumenten- und Publikationsserver
Metadata
- Authors
- Patterson, F., Jepson, C., Strasser, A. A., Loughead, J., Perkins, K. A., Gur, R. C., Frey, J. M., Siegel, S., & Lerman, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (US)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Abramson Cancer Center (US)
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- AstraZeneca (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lerman, Caryn
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-01
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 144-149
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2615779
- OpenAlex
- W2070192651
- Semantic Scholar
- da3580cf90b2994b54327bb9684de9ef3730a592
- Cited by
- 222
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 11.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (P5084718)
- National Cancer Institute (P50CA084718)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- varenicline, nicotine dependence, smoking abstinence, nicotine withdrawal symptoms, smoking urges, mood, cognition, sustained attention, working memory, α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, smoking lapse
- MeSH terms
- Varenicline, Adult, Affect, Attention, Benzazepines, Cognition, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Middle Aged, Quinoxalines, Reaction Time, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, Smoking Cessation, Cross-Over Studies, Nicotinic Agonists
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-08, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-08 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
