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Effects of acute tyrosine depletion on subjective craving and selective processing of smoking-related cues in abstinent cigarette smokers

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, marcus.munafo{at}bristol.ac.uk

Zola N. Mannie

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Philip J. Cowen

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Catherine J. Harmer

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

Sarah B. McTavish

Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

We investigated the impact of the administration of a tyrosine-depleting amino acid mixture compared to a balanced mixture on measures of mood, craving and selective processing of smoking-related cues in healthy cigarette smokers instructed to abstain from smoking for 12 h prior to, and during, the experiment. A modified stroop task was used to index selective processing of smoking-related cues.

We observed evidence for an increase in subjective craving among males, and an attenuation of the selective processing of smoking-related cues compared to control cues among females, in the tyrosine-depleting condition compared to the balanced condition. No effects of mixture were observed on measures of subjective mood.

These results tentatively support for the role of dopaminergic neurotransmission in mediating the response of cigarette smokers to smoking-related cues. In addition, these results also provide further evidence for sex differences in the factors that maintain cigarette smoking, in particular with respect to conditioned reinforcement of smoking behaviour, and suggest that the relationship between subjective craving and selective processing of smoking-related cues may differ in males and females.

Key Words: tyrosine depletion • dopamine • smoking • craving • attentional bias • modified stroop

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This version was published on November 1, 2007

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 21, No. 8, 805-814 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881107077216


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Munafó, M. R. Articles by McTavish, S. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Munafó, M. R. Articles by McTavish, S. B. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?