Raymond S Niaura
Raymond S Niaura
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Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Professional overview
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Dr. Raymond Niaura is a psychologist and an expert on tobacco dependence and treatment, as well as substance use and addiction to alcohol. Dr. Niaura researches the biobehavioral substrates of tobacco dependence, including factors that influence adolescent and early adult tobacco use trajectories. He also evaluates behavioral and pharmacological treatments for tobacco cessation, with a particular interest in cessation in disadvantaged population to address public health disparities in tobacco-related burdens of illness and disability.
For eight year, Dr. Niaura was the Director of Science and Training at the Schroeder Institute (SI) for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies at the Truth Initiative, where he also supervised the pre- and post-doctoral training programs. Dr. Niaura has previously taught and conducted research at Brown University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Georgetown Medical Center, and the School of Public Health at University of Maryland. He was also a former President of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco and is a Deputy Editor of the Nicotine and Tobacco Research.
With grants from the National Institutes of Health, numerous foundations, and private industry, Dr. Niaura has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles, commentaries, and book chapters, including the book The Tobacco Dependence Treatment Handbook: A Guide to Best Practices.
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Education
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BA, Psychology (First Class Honors), McGill University, Montreal, CanadaMS, Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJPhD, Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
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Honors and awards
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Research Laureate, American Academy of Health Behavior (2009)University Scholar Award, McGill University (1979)
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Areas of research and study
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Alcohol, Tobacco and Driving PoliciesEvaluationsHealth DisparitiesSubstance AbuseTobacco Control
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Publications
Publications
Comment on “A single factor underlies the metabolic syndrome: a confirmatory factor analysis” by Plavedall and colleagues
AbstractMcCaffery, J., Shen, B., Todaro, J., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Diabetes CareAbstract~Early life stress and adult emotional experience : An international perspective
AbstractCohen, R. A., Hitsman, B. L., Paul, R. H., McCaffery, J., Stroud, L., Sweet, L., Gunstad, J., Niaura, R. S., MacFarlane, A., Bryant, R. A., & Gordon, E. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
International Journal of Psychiatry in MedicineVolume
36Issue
1Page(s)
35-52AbstractEarly life stress (ELS) has been linked to adult psychopathology, though few studies have examined the universality of specific adverse childhood events (ACEs) in healthy adults. We examined the co-occurrence of specific ACEs and their relationship to current emotional distress in an international sample of adults without psychopathology. Participants were 1659 men and women recruited for an international neurocognitive-neuroimaging database from sites in the United States, Australia, England, and the Netherlands. Participants had no current or prior diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or neurological brain disorder. The occurrence and age on onset of 19 ACEs was assessed by a self-report questionnaire (ELSQ), and current symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). The relationship of specific ACEs to DASS symptoms was examined. Participants reported relatively high prevalence of ACEs. Only 27.6% of the sample reported no ACEs, while 39.5% reported one or two significant experiences and 32.9% reported more than two ACEs. Rates of most ACEs were quite similar across the three continents. Various ACEs were significantly associated with current DASS severity, particularly ACEs involving emotional abuse, neglect, and family conflict, violence, and breakup. Finding nearly one-third of the sample reported three or more ACEs suggest a high prevalence of ELS in otherwise healthy "normal" adults around the world. Associations between ELS and current emotional distress suggest that these events have functional relevance and deserve further investigation.Early Life Stress and Morphometry of the Adult Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Caudate Nuclei
AbstractCohen, R. A., Grieve, S., Hoth, K. F., Paul, R. H., Sweet, L., Tate, D., Gunstad, J., Stroud, L., McCaffery, J., Hitsman, B., Niaura, R. S., Clark, C. R., MacFarlane, A., Bryant, R., Gordon, E., & Williams, L. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Biological PsychiatryVolume
59Issue
10Page(s)
975-982AbstractBackground: Early life stress (ELS) is linked to adult psychopathology and may contribute to long-term brain alterations, as suggested by studies of women who suffered childhood sexual abuse. We examine whether reported adverse ELS defined as stressful and/or traumatic adverse childhood events (ACEs) is associated with smaller limbic and basal ganglia volumes. Method: 265 healthy Australian men and women without psychopathology or brain disorders were studied. ACEs were assessed by the ELSQ and current emotional state by the DASS. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, amygdala, and caudate nucleus volumes were measured from T1-weighted MRI. Analyses examined ROI volumetric associations with reported ACEs and DASS scores. Results: Participants with greater than two ACEs had smaller ACC and caudate nuclei than those without ACEs. A significant association between total ACEs and ROI volumes for these structures was observed. Regression analysis also revealed that ELS was more strongly associated than current emotional state (DASS) with these ROI volumes. Conclusions: Reported ELS is associated with smaller ACC and caudate volumes, but not the hippocampal or amygdala volumes. The reasons for these brain effects are not entirely clear, but may reflect the influence of early stress and traumatic events on the developing brain.Efficacy of naltrexone in smoking cessation : A preliminary study and an examination of sex differences
AbstractKing, A., de Wit, H., Riley, R. C., Cao, D., Niaura, R. S., & Hatsukami, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
8Issue
5Page(s)
671-682AbstractThis double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of naltrexone as an adjunct to standard smoking cessation treatment. Participants (N=110) were adult male and female nicotine-dependent smokers who expressed interest in quitting smoking. All subjects received six sessions of behavioral counseling (1 hr/session for 6 weeks), and 1 month of the nicotine patch (21 mg for the first 2 weeks, 14 mg the third week, 7 mg the fourth week). Subjects were randomly assigned to the naltrexone or placebo group. The naltrexone group started at 25 mg daily for 3 days prior to the quit date, and increased to 50 mg/day on the quit date and following 8 weeks. At the end of medication treatment, the naltrexone group had better quit rates versus the placebo group (48% quit on naltrexone vs. 41% on placebo), but this difference was not statistically significant. However, men and women differed on several measures: in the placebo group, women had significantly lower quit rates than men (39% vs. 67%, pElevated positive mood : A mixed blessing for abstinence
AbstractDoran, N., Borrelli, B., Hitsman, B., Niaura, R. S., Spring, B., McChargue, D., & Hedeker, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Psychology of Addictive BehaviorsVolume
20Issue
1Page(s)
36-43AbstractThe present study, a secondary analysis of published data (B. Hitsman et al., 1999), assessed (a) the influence of initial positive mood (PM) on smoking cessation and (b) whether smokers low in PM benefited from fluoxetine versus placebo for cessation. Euthymic adult smokers (N = 103) received 10 weeks of cessation treatment. Analyses showed a Time X PM interaction, indicating that higher baseline PM predicted decreased abstinence during treatment but increased abstinence afterward, mediated by time to dropout. Dichotomous initial PM interacted with drug, suggesting a benefit of fluoxetine for low-PM smokers. Results indicate that lower pretreatment PM may inhibit long-term cessation. Smokers with lower baseline PM may benefit from treatment that increases PM.Erratum : Efficacy of varenicline, an α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist, vs placebo or sustained-release bupropion for smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial (Journal of the American Medical Association (2006) 296 (56-63))
AbstractNiaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Journal of the American Medical AssociationVolume
296Issue
11Page(s)
1355Abstract~Estimating genetic and environmental influences on depressive symptoms in adolescence : Differing effects on higher and lower levels of symptoms
AbstractRende, R., Slomkowski, C., Lloyd-Richardson, E., Stroud, L., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent PsychologyVolume
35Issue
2Page(s)
237-243AbstractWe estimate the relative effect sizes of genetic and environmental influences on both higher and lower levels of depressive symptoms with attention to persistence over a 1-year period in the genetically informative subsample of adolescents participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Shared environmental effects were significant for persistent higher levels of depressive symptoms but not nonpersistent symptoms. Genetic effects were significant for both persistent and nonpersistent lower levels of depressive symptoms. Nongenetic factors that promote similarity between siblings for high levels of depressive symptoms are important and should be considered in both etiological and applied research. Genetic contributions to lack of susceptibility to depression should be considered in biological models of depression suppression.Fresh from the pipeline : Varenicline
AbstractNiaura, R. S., Jones, C., & Kirkpatrick, P. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Nature Reviews Drug DiscoveryVolume
5Issue
7Page(s)
537-538Abstract~Hostility and urine norepinephrine interact to predict insulin resistance : The VA normative aging study
AbstractZhang, J., Niaura, R. S., Dyer, J. R., Shen, B. J., Todaro, J. F., McCaffery, J. M., Spiro, A., & Ward, K. D. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Psychosomatic MedicineVolume
68Issue
5Page(s)
718-726AbstractOBJECTIVE: Previous research has produced mixed results pertaining to the association between hostility and insulin resistance. These inconsistent findings may be the result of a lack of studies examining potential moderators of this relationship and inconsistent measures of insulin resistance and/or hostility. We hypothesized that hostility may interact with circulating norepinephrine (NEPI) levels, indexed by 24-hour urine concentrations, to affect insulin resistance. METHODS: Six hundred forty-three men (mean age = 63.1 years) free of diabetic medications completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and participated in a laboratory assessment. The Cook-Medley Hostility (Ho) and 24-hour urine NEPI were used to predict insulin resistance defined by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) index, 2-hour postchallenge glucose (PCGL), and insulin levels (PCIL) after controlling for nine common covariates. RESULTS: Multiple regression showed that the two-way interaction between Ho and NEPI significantly predicted HOMA and PCIL, but not PCGL, after controlling for covariates. Simple regression slopes of Ho on HOMA and PCIL were explored and indicated that, at higher levels of NEPI, higher Ho was associated with higher HOMA (β = 0.14, p < .05). Ho was not a significant predictor of HOMA at mean and lower levels of NEPI. Similar results were obtained for PCIL, but not PCGL. Cynicism, but not other subscales of Ho, was similarly related to insulin resistance and NEPI. CONCLUSION: Individuals with high stress and high hostility were more likely to have insulin resistance. It is important to study moderators in the relationship between hostility and insulin resistance.Internet- vs. Telephone-administered questionnaires in a randomized trial of smoking cessation
AbstractGraham, A. L., Papandonatos, G. D., Bock, B. C., Cobb, N. K., Baskin-Sommers, A., Niaura, R. S., & Abrams, D. B. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
8Issue
SUPPL. 1Page(s)
S49-57AbstractThe Internet offers a promising channel to conduct smoking cessation research. Among the advantages of Internet research are the ability to access large numbers of participants who might not otherwise participate in a cessation trial, and the ability to conduct research efficiently and cost-effectively. To leverage the opportunity of the Internet in clinical research, it is necessary to establish that measures of known validity used in research trials are reliable when administered via the Internet. To date, no published studies examine the psychometric properties of measures administered via the Internet to assess smoking variables and psychosocial constructs related to cessation (e.g., stress, social support, quit methods). The purpose of the present study was to examine the reliability of measures of previous quit methods, perceived stress, depression, social support for cessation, smoking temptations, alcohol use, perceived health status, and income when administered via the Internet. Participants in the present study were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of the efficacy of Internet smoking cessation. Following baseline telephone assessment and randomization into the parent trial, participants were recruited to the reliability substudy. An email was sent 2 days after the telephone assessment with a link to the Internet survey and instructions to complete the survey that day. Of the 297 individuals invited to participate, 213 completed the survey within 1 week. Results indicate that the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the measures examined are comparable when self-administered via the Internet or when interviewer-administered via telephone.Links between physical fitness and cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to psychological stressors : A meta-analysis
AbstractForcier, K., Stroud, L. R., Papandonatos, G. D., Hitsman, B., Reiches, M., Krishnamoorthy, J., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Health PsychologyVolume
25Issue
6Page(s)
723-739AbstractA meta-analysis of published studies with adult human participants was conducted to evaluate whether physical fitness attenuates cardiovascular reactivity and improves recovery from acute psychological stressors. Thirty-three studies met selection criteria; 18 were included in recovery analyses. Effect sizes and moderator influences were calculated by using meta-analysis software. A fixed effects model was fit initially; however, between-studies heterogeneity could not be explained even after inclusion of moderators. Therefore, to account for residual heterogeneity, a random effects model was estimated. Under this model, fit individuals showed significantly attenuated heart rate and systolic blood pressure reactivity and a trend toward attenuated diastolic blood pressure reactivity. Fit individuals also showed faster heart rate recovery, but there were no significant differences in systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure recovery. No significant moderators emerged. Results have important implications for elucidating mechanisms underlying effects of fitness on cardiovascular disease and suggest that fitness may be an important confound in studies of stress reactivity.Nicotine replacement therapy : Patterns of use after A quit attempt among methadone- maintained smokers
AbstractStein, M. D., Anderson, B. J., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Journal of general internal medicineVolume
21Issue
7Page(s)
753-757AbstractAIM: To determine the association between daily smoking and use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and to determine predictors of greater NRT use among methadone-matntained smokers. INTERVENTION: Assignment to free nicotine patch (8 to 12 weeks) plus either (1) a baseline-tailored brief motivational intervention, a quit date behavioral skills counseling session, and a relapse prevention follow-up session (max), or (2) brief advice using NCI's 4 A's model (min). SETTING: Five methadone maintenance treatment centers. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 383 methadone-maintained smokers enrolled, 309 (80.6%) set a specific quit date (received NRT) and were located for assessments. Participants were 51.8% male, 78.6% Caucasian, and smoked 26.6 (SD =12.2) cigarettes/day. OUTCOME: Use of NRT and smoking behaviors during the 180-day follow-up period assessed by the Timeline follow-back method. FINDINGS: On the day following their quit day, 86.4% of participants used NRT. The percentage of participants using NRT was 52.3%, 27.1%, and 10.4% on day 30, day 60, and day 90, respectively. Participants used NRT on 44.1% of the days through the 90 days of the treatment protocol. The estimated odds of smoking abstinence was 7.1 (PPosttraumatic stress disorder and late-onset smoking in the Vietnam Era Twin Registry
AbstractKoenen, K. C., Lyons, M. J., Niaura, R. S., Goldberg, J., True, W., Hitsman, B., Stroud, L., McCaffery, J., Eisen, S. A., & Tsuang, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
Journal of consulting and clinical psychologyVolume
74Issue
1Page(s)
186-190AbstractEpidemiological and clinical studies have consistently reported associations between smoking and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study analyzed diagnostic interview data on 6,744 members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry to clarify the PTSD - smoking relation and to examine whether genetic liability for smoking moderated this relation. Preexisting active (unremitted) PTSD increased risk of late-onset daily smoking. Remitted PTSD decreased risk. Active PTSD increased risk of smoking at all levels of genetic liability; the effect was strongest for those with least genetic liability. This suggests PTSD represents a nongenetic pathway to late-onset smoking among individuals who were nonsmokers prior to developing PTSD. If replicated, these results identify PTSD as a risk factor for smoking that should lead to early tobacco control treatment in this population.Role of functional genetic variation in the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) in response to bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy for tobacco dependence : Results of two randomized clinical trials
AbstractNiaura, R. S., Lerman, C., Jepson, C., Wileyto, E. P., Epstein, L. H., Rukstalis, M., Patterson, F., Kaufmann, V., Restine, S., Hawk, L., Niaura, R., & Berrettini, W. (n.d.).Publication year
2006Journal title
NeuropsychopharmacologyVolume
31Issue
1Page(s)
231-242AbstractAlthough bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are efficacious tobacco dependence treatments, there is substantial interindividual variability in therapeutic response and most smokers relapse. Pharmacogenetics research may improve treatment outcomes by identifying genetic variants predictive of therapeutic response. We investigated the roles of two functional genetic variants in the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene in response to pharmacotherapy for tobacco dependence among participants in two randomized clinical trials with a 6-month follow-up period: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of bupropion (n = 414) and an open label trial of transdermal nicotine vs nicotine nasal spray (n = 368). At the end of the treatment phase, a statistically significant (p = 0.01) interaction between the DRD2 -141C Ins/Del genotype and treatment indicated a more favorable response to bupropion among smokers homozygous for the Ins C allele compared to those carrying a Del C allele. By contrast, smokers carrying the Del C allele had statistically significantly (p = 0.006) higher quit rates on NRT compared to those homozygous for the Ins C allele, independent of NRT type. The C957T variant was also associated (p = 0.03) with abstinence following NRT. These results suggest that bupropion may be the preferred pharmacologic treatment for smokers homozygous for the DRD2 -141 Ins C allele, while NRT may be more beneficial for those who carry the Del C allele. Study findings require confirmation in additional larger samples before they are applied in practice.A twin registry study of the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and nicotine dependence in men
AbstractKoenen, K. C., Hitsman, B., Lyons, M. J., Niaura, R. S., McCaffery, J., Goldberg, J., Eisen, S. A., True, W., & Tsuang, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Archives of General PsychiatryVolume
62Issue
11Page(s)
1258-1265AbstractContext: Recent studies indicate a strong association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and nicotine dependence (ND). However, the explanation for the association remains unclear. Objective: To test competing explanations for the association between PTSD and ND. Design, Setting, and Participants: Analysis of data on 6744 members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, a national registry of all male-male twin pairs who served in the military during the Vietnam era interviewed in 1991-1992. Main Outcome Measures: Risk of PTSD and ND using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for the DSM-III-R. Results: The prevalence of ND was elevated among trauma-exposed individuals (52.0%) and those with PTSD (71.7%) compared with unexposed individuals (40.5%). This association was significant for ND and for trauma without PTSD (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.45) and for PTSD (odds ratio, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.92-2.84) and was not entirely explained by shared risk factors. Shared genetic effects explained 63% of the PTSD-ND association; the remaining covariance was explained by individual-specific environmental effects. Using survival analysis with time-dependent covariates, ND was associated with a substantially increased risk of PTSD among trauma-exposed men (hazard ratio, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.61-2.42). Trauma (hazard ratio, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.35-1.64) and PTSD (hazard ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.14-1.61) were less strongly but significantly associated with increased risk of ND onset after controlling for shared risk factors. Conclusions: Most of the PTSD-ND association is explained by shared genetic effects. However, there is a substantial, robust PTSD-ND association not explained by shared risk factors. Multiple explanations for the association were supported; however, the strongest association was consistent with preexisting ND increasing the risk of PTSD onset. These data suggest that male veterans with a history of ND may be at increased risk for PTSD. Further research on the biological mechanisms underlying PTSD-ND comorbidity is needed.A twin-sibling study of tobacco use in adolescence : Etiology of individual differences and extreme scores
AbstractRende, R., Slomkowski, C., McCaffery, J., Lloyd-Richardson, E. E., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
7Issue
3Page(s)
413-419AbstractA database is emerging that examines the relative contributions of genes and the environment to the etiology of smoking in adolescence. We present analyses derived from a genetically informative subsample of sibling pairs (monozygotic and dizygotic twins, full siblings, and half-siblings) participating in two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to estimate these parameters on both individual differences in smoking and extreme levels of smoking. Evidence indicated both genetic and shared environmental influences on high levels of smoking frequency, as well as on individual differences in smoking. No notable gender differences in these parameters emerged. Shared environmental effects were especially notable for high levels of smoking frequency and significantly greater than those found for individual differences. These findings were compatible with prior studies of both adolescent and adult smoking and reinforce the importance of familial influences on high levels of smoking frequency in adolescence.Combined effect of the metabolic syndrome and hostility on the incidence of myocardial infarction (The Normative Aging Study)
AbstractTodaro, J. F., Con, A., Niaura, R. S., Spiro, A., Ward, K. D., & Roytberg, A. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
American Journal of CardiologyVolume
96Issue
2Page(s)
221-226AbstractA growing body of evidence suggests that the metabolic syndrome and hostility are independent risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease. However, few studies have examined the combined effect of the metabolic syndrome and hostility on the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI). We examined prospectively the relation among the metabolic syndrome, hostility, and the incidence of MI in healthy, older men (mean ± SD 59.7 ± 7.2 years) who participated in the Normative Aging Study. Seven hundred fifty-four men who were diagnosed as not having coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus were included in the present study. Men were assigned to 1 of 4 risk-factor groups based on the presence or absence of the metabolic syndrome and low or high hostility. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the multivariate risk of developing a MI. The incidence of MI was 11.3% (n = 85) over an average follow-up period of 13.8 years. After adjusting for potential covariates, risk-factor group significantly predicted the incidence of MI (odds ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.29 to 1.96, pComparative efficacy of rapid-release nicotine gum versus nicotine polacrilex gum in relieving smoking cue-provoked craving
AbstractNiaura, R. S., Sayette, M., Shiffman, S., Glover, E. D., Nides, M., Shelanski, M., Shadel, W., Koslo, R., Robbins, B., & Sorrentino, J. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
AddictionVolume
100Issue
11Page(s)
1720-1730AbstractAims: Most relapse episodes occur when smokers are confronted with craving provoked by situational cues. Current nicotine gum can help relieve cue-provoked cravings, but faster effects may result in more rapid relief. We tested a prototype formulation of a new rapid-release nicotine gum (RRNG) that provides more rapid release and absorption of nicotine, for its ability to provide faster and better craving relief compared to current nicotine polacrilex gum (NPG). Design: Random assignment to RRNG or NPG, used during a smoking cue provocation procedure. Participants and setting: A total of 319 smokers were exposed to a smoking cue in the laboratory by being asked to light but not smoke a cigarette of their preferred brand. Subjects then chewed a piece of 2 mg RRNG (n = 159) or 2 mg NPG (n = 160) according to randomized assignment. Measurements: Craving assessments were completed at regular intervals before and after cue exposure (baseline, pre-cue, and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 35 minutes after the cue). Findings: Smokers chewing RRNG showed significantly lower craving than NPG subjects starting with the first assessment at 3 minutes (P < 0.025). Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant treatment × time interaction (P < 0.05)-craving scores dropped more rapidly in RRNG subjects compared to NPG subjects. Survival analyses also indicated superiority of RRNG in achieving more rapid self-reported meaningful relief (P < 0.05) and complete relief (P < 0.05) of craving. Conclusions: Rapid-release nicotine gum reduced cue-provoked craving more rapidly compared to NPG, and thus merits further study in cessation efficacy trials.Correlates of motivation to quit smoking in methadone-maintained smokers enrolled in a smoking cessation trial
AbstractShadel, W. G., Stein, M. D., Anderson, B. J., Herman, D. S., Bishop, S., Lassor, J. A., Weinstock, M., Anthony, J. L., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Addictive BehaviorsVolume
30Issue
2Page(s)
295-300AbstractCigarette smoking is a clear problem among methadone-maintained persons, yet little is known about factors that may be associated with their motivation to quit smoking. A sample of 255 smokers, enrolled in a smoking cessation research protocol, completed measures of their smoking motivation, smoking habit, quitting history, and intent to quit in the future. Both zero-order correlational and multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that only number of cigarettes smoked per day and expectancies for success with smoking cessation were associated significantly with motivation to quit smoking. These results have implications for understanding motivational processes among methadone-maintained smokers and may help in the design of interventions that will assist this population with quitting smoking.Differences between Latino and non-Latino White smokers in cognitive and behavioral characteristics relevant to smoking cessation
AbstractBock, B. C., Niaura, R. S., Neighbors, C. J., Carmona-Barros, R., & Azam, M. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Addictive BehaviorsVolume
30Issue
4Page(s)
711-724AbstractAdult smokers were recruited during routine health care visits at primary care clinics located in three urban hospitals and were given a brief intervention and nicotine replacement therapy. Analyses compared bicultural (BC: n=60) or less acculturated (LA: n=138) Latinos and non-Latino White (NL: n=417) participants. Both Latino groups were significantly different from NL subjects in smoking rate and nicotine dependence. However, BC and NL subjects differed significantly from LA subjects in perceived benefits of quitting, perceived risk from smoking, and negative affect smoking. LA subjects had higher cessation rates than either BC or NL groups. Regression analyses showed that nicotine dependence and confidence in quitting predicted cessation at month 6, and acculturation appeared to moderate the relationship between smoking cessation and both confidence in quitting and nicotine dependence. These results provide support for the viability of brief interventions for smoking provided through health care delivery systems. Results also suggest that characteristics previously shown to be predictive of successful cessation in mixed or non-Latino populations may not be equally predictive of cessation across members of diverse populations.Improving understanding of sibling effects on adolescent smoking : Response to the commentaries
AbstractRende, R., Slomkowski, C., Lloyd-Richardson, E., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
AddictionVolume
100Issue
4Page(s)
443-444Abstract~Prevalence of depressive disorders in men and women enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation
AbstractTodaro, J. F., Shen, B. J., Niaura, R. S., & Tilkemeier, P. L. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Journal of Cardiopulmonary RehabilitationVolume
25Issue
2Page(s)
71-77AbstractPURPOSE: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that depression is an independent risk factor for the development and recurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD). The prevalence of depressive disorders, however, is not well documented in CHD patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of current and lifetime depressive disorders in the CR setting. METHODS: One hundred ten men and women diagnosed with CHD and enrolled in a phase II CR program were screened via a psychiatric, structured interview to assess current and lifetime history of major depressive disorder, minor depression, and dysthymic disorder. RESULTS: A total of 17 (15.5%) individuals screened positive for a current depressive disorder at entry into the CR program, with 10 (9.1 %) individuals screening positive for major depressive disorder, 7 (6.4%) for minor depression, and 6 (5.5%) for dysthymic disorder. With respect to lifetime prevalence of mood disorders, 29 (26.4%) individuals met the diagnostic criteria for at least one depressive disorder during their lifetime. The lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder, minor depression, and dysthymic disorder was 11.8%, 14.5%, and 10.9%, respectively. Female CR participants evidence significantly higher current and lifetime prevalence rates for depressive disorders compared to their male counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that a substantial number of CHD patients enrolled in CR report a clinically significant history of depression. Efforts to assess and treat depression are needed in the CR setting and may be associated with better adherence to lifestyle modification programs.Recurrent event analysis of lapse and recovery in a smoking cessation clinical trial using bupropion
AbstractWileyto, E. P., Patterson, F., Niaura, R. S., Epstein, L. H., Brown, R. A., Audrain-McGovern, J., Hawk, L. W., & Lerman, C. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
7Issue
2Page(s)
257-268AbstractWe report a reanalysis of data from a prior study describing the event history of quitting smoking aided by bupropion, using recurrent-event models to determine the effect of the drug on occurrence of lapses and recoveries from lapse (resumption of abstinence). Data were collected on 1,070 subjects across two similar double-blind randomized clinical trials of bupropion versus placebo and fitted with separate Cox regression models for lapse and recovery. Analyses were split using discrete time-varying covariates between the treatment (weeks 1-10) and follow-up phases (end of treatment to 12 months). Bupropion was associated with slower lapse during treatment for both sexes, and being female was associated with faster lapse across both phases. Drug did not affect time to recovery for males but was associated with faster recovery among females, allowing women to recover as quickly as men. High levels of nicotine dependence did not affect time to lapse but were associated with slower recovery from lapse across treatment and follow-up phases. During the treatment phase, higher levels of baseline depression symptoms had no effect on time to lapse but were associated with slower recovery from lapse. Results highlight the asymmetry in factors preventing lapse versus promoting recovery. Specifically, dependence, depression symptoms, and a sex × drug interaction were found to affect recovery but not lapse. Further research disentangling lapse and recovery events from summary abstinence measures is needed to help us develop interventions that take advantage of bupropion at its best and that compensate where it is weak.Sibling effects on smoking in adolescence : Evidence for social influence from a genetically informative design
AbstractSlomkowski, C., Rende, R., Novak, S., Lloyd-Richardson, E., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
AddictionVolume
100Issue
4Page(s)
430-438AbstractAims: Behavioral genetic research has suggested that sibling effects on smoking may reflect social rather than genetic processes. We utilize a genetically informative sample of adolescents to test this proposition, focusing on sibling relationship processes (social connectedness) shown to be influential in studies of deviancy. Design: A combined twin-sibling design was employed to disentangle genetic and non-genetic effects. Participants: We utilized a sample of 1421 adolescent sibling pairs participating in the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). These sibling pairs represent a spectrum of genetic relatedness and include monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, biological siblings, half-siblings and unrelated siblings. Measurements: Participants completed self-report questionnaires on smoking behavior, quality of relationship with their sibling (social connectedness) and peer and parental smoking. Findings: Main effects of both shared environment and genetics were found on adolescent smoking frequency. Social connectedness between siblings moderated shared environmental influences on smoking frequency at each time period, as well as on change in smoking frequency. Shared environmental effects were more pronounced when siblings reported high levels of social connectedness. These environmental sibling effects on smoking were significant after controlling for parent and peer smoking. Conclusions: This report extends prior research on sibling effects on smoking by identifying specific relationship dynamics that underlie transmission of risk within sibships and providing evidence that such relationship dynamics represent social rather than genetic processes.Sibling effects on substance use in adolescence : Social contagion and genetic relatedness
AbstractRende, R., Slomkowski, C., Lloyd-Richardson, E., & Niaura, R. S. (n.d.).Publication year
2005Journal title
Journal of Family PsychologyVolume
19Issue
4Page(s)
611-618AbstractPrior research on sibling contagion for substance use has not attended to individual differences in the sibling relationship that may be influenced by genetic similarity. The authors utilizing data on a sample of twin and nontwin siblings participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Although monozygotic twins had the highest levels of sibling contact and mutual friendships, the pattern of results for other sibling types were not consistent with genetic models, and biometric analysis indicated that shared environmental factors influenced these sibling relationship features. Application of DeFries-Fulker regression models provided evidence that sibling contact and mutual friendships represent a source of social contagion for adolescent smoking and drinking independent of genetic relatedness. The results are interpreted using a social contagion framework and contrasted with other competing models such as those focused on the equal environments assumption and niche selection.