Evaluating the Relationship Between Tobacco Use, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Panic in Adolescents

November 14, 2022 updated by: Ellen Leen-Feldner, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Anxiety Sensitivity, Tobacco Use, and Panic Among Adolescents

This study will determine whether there is a relationship between tobacco use and a heightened response to panic-producing events among adolescents. This study is fundamental research. It was not a Clinical Trial.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Growing up is hard enough, and adolescence can be a particularly stressful time in people's lives as they adjust to the transition from childhood to adulthood. Peer pressure can add to this anxiety, making it more likely for teens to take part in risky behaviors such as smoking cigarettes. Every day, more than 4,000 teens smoke their first cigarette and nearly half of those teens will become regular, daily smokers. Cigarette smoking is associated with a multitude of health risks, including an increased likelihood of experiencing panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and depression. This study will evaluate a group of teens, ranging from those who have never smoked to those who smoke daily, to determine whether there is a relation between adolescent smoking history and their vulnerability to panic-producing situations.

Participants in this study will undergo a brief medical screening, followed by a short interview that will include several questionnaires regarding emotions, experiences, and personal habits. Participants will then attend a series of laboratory assessments for 1 hour. The first assessment will include a 3-minute voluntary hyperventilation procedure in which participants will be directed when to breathe in and when to breathe out, at a faster rate than normal. Participants will then take part in two computerized tasks: one will be a computerized task that involves blowing up a balloon and deciding when to quit before the balloon pops; the other task will involve choosing hypothetical amounts of money now or after a period of delay. During the laboratory assessments, all participants will have electrodes attached to their bodies and sensors around their chests to measure heart rate, palm sweating, and muscle tension. Results from this study will be used to evaluate the association between smoking and increased panic levels under stressful conditions among adolescents.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

180

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Arkansas
      • Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States, 72701
        • University of Arkansas

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

12 years to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be 180 psychologically healthy adolescents, evenly divided across the various stages of smoking uptake (i.e., non-smokers, tried smoking, experimenters, regular smokers, and daily smokers).

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents, ranging from those who have never smoked to those who smoke daily

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or past diagnosis of a panic disorder
  • Acute or chronic cardiopulmonary or respiratory illness (e.g., asthma or bronchitis)
  • Pregnant

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
1
Psychologically healthy adolescents, evenly divided across the various stages of smoking uptake

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Relationship between cigarette smoking and panic vulnerability
Time Frame: Measured at completion of laboratory testing analysis
Measured at completion of laboratory testing analysis

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ellen W. Leen-Feldner, PhD, University of Arkansas

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

June 1, 2007

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2009

Study Completion (Actual)

April 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 25, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 25, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

September 27, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 17, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 14, 2022

Last Verified

November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R03MH077692 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • DAHBR 96-BHB

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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