Sex Differences in Subjective Responses To Moderate Versus Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarettes

The neural mechanisms underlying subjective responses to meal ingestion remain incompletely understood. We previously showed in healthy men an increase in thalamocortical, and a decrease in insular-cortical connectivity in response to a palatable meal. As sex is increasingly recognized as an important biological variable, we aimed to evaluate sex differences and commonalities in the impact of a well-liked meal on thalamic and anterior insular connectivity in healthy individuals. Participants (20 women and 20 age-matched men) underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) before and after ingesting a palatable meal. In general, the insula showed extensive postprandial reductions in connectivity with sensorimotor and prefrontal cortices, while the thalamus showed increases in connectivity with insular, frontal, and occipital cortices, in both women and men. However, reductions in insular connectivity were more prominent in men, and were related to changes in meal-related sensations (satiety and digestive well-being) in men only. In contrast, increases in thalamic connectivity were more prominent in women, and were related to changes in satiety and digestive well-being in women only. These results suggest that brain imaging may provide objective and sex-specific biomarkers of the subjective feelings associated with meal ingestion.

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Sex differences in response to reduced nicotine content cigarettes

Addictive Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.03.021 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (7) ◽

pp. 1197-1204 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Rachel Isaksson Vogel ◽

Louise A. Hertsgaard ◽

Sarah S. Dermody ◽

Xianghua Luo ◽

Lor Moua ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Nicotine Content

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The role of nicotine content information in smokers' subjective responses to nicotine and placebo inhalers

Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental ◽

10.1002/hup.1159 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 25 (7-8) ◽

pp. 577-581 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Christine Darredeau ◽

Sean P. Barrett

Keyword(s):

Subjective Responses ◽

Nicotine Content ◽

Content Information

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Potential Moderating Effects of Sex/Gender on the Acute Relative Reinforcing and Subjective Effects of Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes in Vulnerable Populations

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntz098 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 878-884

Author(s):

Joanna M Streck ◽

Danielle R Davis ◽

Raina D Pang ◽

Stacey C Sigmon ◽

Janice Y Bunn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Vulnerable Populations ◽

Subjective Effects ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Nicotine Content ◽

Smoking Addiction ◽

Psychiatric Conditions ◽

Reinforcing Effects ◽

Double Blinded ◽

Gender Interactions

Abstract Introduction Reports in relatively healthy smokers suggest men are more sensitive than women to the subjective effects of reduced nicotine content cigarettes (RNCCs). We know of no reports examining sex differences in the relative reinforcing effects of RNCCs, an important outcome in assessing smoking’s addiction potential. The aim of the present study is to address this gap by examining sex/gender differences on reinforcing effects while examining whether sex differences in subjective effects are discernible in vulnerable populations. Methods Secondary analysis of a within-subject, double-blinded experiment examining acute effects of cigarettes varying in nicotine content (0.4, 2.4, 5.2, 15.8 mg/g) among 169 adult smokers with psychiatric conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage. Effects of dose, sex, and their interaction were examined on reinforcing (concurrent-choice and Cigarette Purchase Task [CPT] testing), and subjective effects (Cigarette Evaluation Questionnaire [CEQ] and craving/withdrawal ratings). Results Reducing nicotine content decreased the relative reinforcing effects of smoking in concurrent-choice and CPT testing (p’s < .05) with no significant effects of sex nor dose × sex/gender interactions. Reducing nicotine content decreased CEQ ratings with only a single significant effect of sex (higher Psychological Reward scores among women than men, p = .02) and no significant dose × sex/gender interactions. Results on craving/withdrawal paralleled those on the CEQ. Conclusions Reducing nicotine content decreases the addiction potential of smoking independent of sex in populations highly vulnerable to smoking and addiction, with no indication that women are less sensitive to subjective effects of RNCCs or would benefit less from a policy reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes. Implications A policy reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes has the potential to reduce the addiction potential of smoking across men and women who are especially vulnerable to smoking, addiction, and tobacco-related adverse health impacts.

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Comparison between Gradual Reduced Nicotine Content and Usual Nicotine Content Groups on Subjective Cigarette Ratings in a Randomized Double-Blind Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17197047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (19) ◽

pp. 7047

Author(s):

Wenxue Lin ◽

Nicolle M. Krebs ◽

Junjia Zhu ◽

Jonathan Foulds ◽

Kimberly Horn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

The United States ◽

Double Blind ◽

Change Over Time ◽

Subjective Responses ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Nicotine Content ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time ◽

Nicotine Reduction

In 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to reduce nicotine in tobacco products to produce a minimally addictive or nonaddictive effect, but there was a research gap in the subjective responses of reduced-nicotine-content cigarettes. We compared the responses of the modified cigarette evaluation questionnaire (mCEQ) and cigarette-liking scale (CLS) between the gradually reduced nicotine content (RNC) group and the usual nicotine content (UNC) group. Linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures were used to analyze and compare the change over time for the mCEQ and CLS across the two treatment groups (RNC and UNC). We found that the change over time for the mCEQ and CLS was significant between the RNC and the UNC treatment groups at the beginning of visit 6 with 1.4 mg nicotine/cigarette. At visits 8 and 9, the RNC group reported significantly lower satisfaction scores compared to UNC. Subscale analysis showed that smoking satisfaction decreased in RNC while other measures, such as cigarette enjoyment, did not change. Understanding the impact of nicotine reduction on cigarette subjective responses through evaluation and liking scales would provide valuable information to the FDA on nicotine reduction policies for cigarettes.

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Sex Differences in Acute Relief of Abstinence-Induced Withdrawal and Negative Affect due to Nicotine Content in Cigarettes

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntu150 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 443-448 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

K. A. Perkins ◽

J. L. Karelitz

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Negative Affect ◽

Nicotine Content

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Note on Sex Differences in Causal Attribution

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1976.38.1.29 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 29-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leslie Zebrowitz McArthur

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Causal Attributions ◽

Causal Attribution ◽

External Stimulus ◽

Subjective Responses ◽

Female Subjects

16 male and 16 female subjects made causal attributions for four types of responses ostensibly made by other people—positive and negative manifest and positive and negative subjective. Females more often than males attributed subjective responses to the external stimulus, and they more often than males attributed manifest responses to the external circumstances. Some implications of these results for understanding sex differences in attributions for performance in achievement-related situations are discussed.

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