Veränderungen im autonomen Nervensystem während der Tabakentwöhnung - Mögliche Effekte pharmakologischer Interventionen
Alterations in the autonomic nervous system during smoking cessation - possible effects of pharmacological interventions
by Alexandra Gossler
Date of Examination:2020-07-28
Date of issue:2020-07-28
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Tobias Raupach
Referee:Prof. Dr. Tobias Raupach
Referee:Prof. Dr. Thomas Meyer
Referee:Prof. Dr. Martin Oppermann
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Abstract
English
Considering the multiple negative effects that smoking has on individual and public health and the down to the present high relapse rates in smokers who want to quit smoking, we conducted a prospective clinical trial, that investigated the alterations in the autonomic nervous System during Smoking cessation. Besides the absolute effects of smoking cessation on sympathovagal balance, we investigated the influence of pharmacological interventions and smoking cues on the autonomic nervous system during cessation. In this five-armed, double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), heart rate, and blood pressure were assessed in four different groups of smokers four weeks before a quit attempt (baseline) and again on the third day of that quit attempt (acute smoking withdrawal). 17 Non-smokers were tested as a control sample. Regarding the primary endpoints of our study, we did not find significant changes in MSNA and BRS pre and post smoking cessation. Pharmacological interventions and the presentation of smoking cues did not show significant changes between baseline and acute smoking withdrawal either. However, heart rate decreased in the placebo group, while no significant change in heart rate was observed in the pharmacological intervention groups. Exposure to smoking cues during acute withdrawal lead to a significant increase of heart rate in the placebo group, while heart rate decreased in the varenicline group, and the difference in these changes was significant between groups. Also a significant increase in heart rate during smoking cue exposure was detected in subjects who relapsed in the course of six weeks after the quit date compared to those who stayed abstinent. In Conclusion we demonstrated a connection between heart rate responses to smoking cues, the influence of pharmacological intervention and the link to an improved outcome of smoking cessation, further studies to be needed.
Keywords: smoking cessation; withdrawal; varenicline; MSNA; sympathovagal balance