Impact of Sweeteners on the Addictive Threshold of Nicotine

Overview

To determine if sucralose, an artificial sweetener, modulates nicotine threshold doses for discrimination, subjective-rewarding effects, and reinforcement in smokers with varying levels of dependence.

Participants will complete an Adaptation Session followed by four Test Days. The Adaptation Session will familiarize participants with all study procedures. On each Test Day, a specific intravenous nicotine dose (0.05 or 0.1 mg/pulse) is paired with either a sucralose or control flavor administered by an electronic cigarette. The experimental procedure begins with a sampling phase comparing the assigned nicotine dose against saline, each paired with the assigned flavor, followed by four trials to assess the participant's ability to discriminate between the two conditions. Subsequently, participants complete four Choice trials, where they will choose between receiving the assigned nicotine dose and saline. Reinforcement will be measured by the percentage of nicotine choices, while discrimination will be measured by the percentage of correctly identified infusions. Subjective rewarding effects will be assessed using the "Pleasurable Effects" composite score of the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ).

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

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Outcomes

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