Behavioral Activation for Smoking Cessation and the Prevention of Post-Cessation Weight Gain

May 1, 2024 updated by: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine
The purpose of this research study is to better understand (1) why people gain weight when they quit smoking and (2) whether certain types of smoking cessation (i.e. quit smoking) counseling combined with the nicotine patch help people quit smoking and gain less weight.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of a behavioral activation intervention to smoking cessation and to post-cessation weight gain (BAS+) plus transdermal nicotine (TN) compared to standard smoking cessation counseling (SC) plus TN in treatment-seeking smokers. After completing an Intake Visit (~week -3), eligible smokers will be randomized (stratified by nicotine dependence, BMI and gender) to participate in 8 individual sessions of BAS+ or SC over a 10-week treatment period with two sessions prior to the target quit date (weeks -2, -1) and six sessions post-target quit date (TQD [week 0] and weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8). Standard, 8-week; open-label TN will begin on the TQD. Moderators will be assessed pre-treatment. Mediating mechanisms will be assessed before, during, and at the end of treatment (EOT, week 8). Smoking will be assessed by self-report and biochemically confirmed (Carbon Monoxide [CO] < 5) at all in-center visits after quitting, at EOT (week 8), and at the 12- and 26-week follow-ups. Weight will be assessed at these same time points. Food intake will be measured by three consecutive days of 24-hour food recalls at Baseline [week -2] and 4-, 8-, and 12- and 26-weeks post-TQD. Smoking cessation and post-cessation weight gain (PCWG) are the primary outcomes and food intake is a secondary outcome at 26-weeks post-TQD. Consistent with intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses, the investigators will measure smoking cessation and weight gain in the full sample at the 26-week follow-up, evaluating a smoking status by treatment interaction for the PCWG analysis.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
288

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

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

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, University of Pennsylvania

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Male and female treatment-seeking smokers who are between 18 and 65 years of age and self-report smoking at least 5 cigarettes (menthol and/or non-menthol) per day for at least the last 6 months.
  • Plan to live in the area for the duration of the study (i.e. ~30 weeks/8 months).
  • Capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the combined consent and HIPAA form.
  • Smokers who wish to make a permanent quit attempt in the next 1-2 months (treatment-seeking), because our prior work suggests that motivated subjects are more sensitive to medication effects on smoking behavior.
  • Able to communicate fluently in English (i.e. speaking, writing, and reading).
  • Provide a Carbon Monoxide (CO) breath test reading greater than or equal to 5 parts per million (ppm) at the Intake Visit.

Exclusion Criteria:

Smoking Behavior.

  • Regular use of nicotine containing products other than cigarettes (e.g. chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, cigars, e-cigs, etc.). Participants agreeing to abstain from using nicotine containing products other than cigarettes and the study-provided TN for the duration of trial will be considered eligible.
  • Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another research and/or smoking cessation program over the duration of the study (i.e. ~30 weeks/8 months).
  • Anticipated use (within the next ~30 weeks/8 months) of any nicotine substitutes and/or smoking cessation treatments/medications unless provided through the study.
  • Provide a CO breath test reading less than 8 ppm at Intake Visit.

Alcohol and Drug.

  • History of substance abuse (other than nicotine) in the past 12 months and/or currently receiving medical treatment for substance abuse. Counseling and support groups (e.g. Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous) will not be considered medical treatment for the purposes of this protocol.
  • Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week.
  • Breath alcohol reading (BrAC) greater than .000 at the Intake Visit.
  • A positive urine drug screen (UDS) for cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), ecstasy (MDMA), barbiturates, benzodiazepines, methadone, and/or oxycodone at the Intake Visit.

Medical.

  • Women who are pregnant, breast feeding, or planning a pregnancy over the duration of the study period. Women must agree to use an adequate form of contraception or abstain from sexual intercourse for the duration and for at least one month after the end of the study.
  • Current treatment of cancer or diagnosed with cancer (except basal or squamous-cell carcinoma not treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation) in the past 6 months.
  • Poorly controlled, brittle, or pump-dependent Type I diabetes.
  • Current peptic ulcer bleeding.
  • Allergy to adhesive tape.
  • Skin problems or sensitivities. Eligibility will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Study Physician.
  • Active hepatitis or poorly controlled kidney and/or liver disease.
  • Uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure [SBP] greater than 159 and/or diastolic blood pressure [DBP] greater than 99
  • History of abnormal heart rhythms, tachycardia, and/or cardiovascular disease (e.g. stroke, angina, heart attack) may result in ineligibility. These conditions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Study Physician.
  • History of epilepsy or seizures. Eligibility will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Study Physician.
  • Serious or unstable disease within the past 6 months. Notable diseases will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Principal Investigator and/or the Study Physician.
  • Any impairment including, but not limited to, visual, physical, and/or neurological impairments preventing proper completion of the study procedures. Notable impairments will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Principal Investigator and/or the Study Physician.
  • Low or borderline intellectual functioning - determined by receiving a score of less than 75 on the Shipley Institute of Living Scale (SILS), which correlates with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) Estimated Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Test.
  • Applicable food allergies or disorders:

Galactosemia, Notable milk allergy (lactose intolerant participants may proceed unless they experience severe symptoms), Notable soy allergy, Peanut allergy

Psychiatric.

  • Current diagnosis of major depression. Subjects with a history of major depression, in remission for 6 months or longer (may be stable on antidepressant medications), are eligible.
  • Lifetime history of a suicide attempt.
  • Lifetime history of schizophrenia, psychosis, and/or bipolar disorder.

Medication.

Current use or recent discontinuation (within the last 14 days) of:

  • Smoking cessation medication (e.g., Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin Standard-Release, Chantix).
  • Anti-psychotic medications.
  • Prescription stimulants (e.g., Provigil, Ritalin, Adderall).
  • Systemic steroids.

Current use of:

  • Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
  • Heart medications such as digoxin, quinidine, and nitroglycerin.

Daily use of:

  • Opiate-containing medications for chronic pain.
  • Inhaled corticosteroids.
  • Benzodiazepines and/or Barbiturates.

General Exclusion.

  • Past, current, anticipated, or pending enrollment in another research program over the study period that could potentially impact subject safety, study data, and/or the study design as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician.
  • Any medical condition, illness, disorder, adverse event (AE), or concomitant medication that could compromise participant safety or significantly impact study performance as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician. Subjects may be deemed ineligible for any of the aforementioned reasons at any point throughout the study, as well as during the initial telephone screen.
  • Significant non-compliance with protocol and/or study design as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician. Subjects may be deemed ineligible at any point throughout the study.
  • Subjects failing to complete an in-person Baseline Visit will be excluded (no Principal Investigator determination required).

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: BAS+
Participants will attend 8 counseling sessions and receive a behavioral activation intervention to smoking cessation and to post-cessation weight gain (BAS+).
Behavioral: BAS+
The goal of the BAS+ is to maintain a level of overall reward after cessation by structuring and enhancing opportunities for reinforcement to: (1) ensure that not smoking is as reinforcing as smoking; and (2) prevent an over-reliance on food as a substitute reinforcer for smoking so that PCWG does not precipitate smoking relapse.
Placebo Comparator: SC
Participants will attend 8 counseling sessions and receive standard smoking cessation counseling (SC).
Behavioral: SC
Overeating and weight gain are common concerns reported during smoking cessation treatment. Per convention, SC will address these concerns through standard recommendations to consume low-calorie snack foods, drink water, eat nutritious meals, and exercise, but will not include skills to shape the use of these suggestions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Smoking Cessation
Time Frame: Through Study Completion (End of Treatment Visit, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Smoking abstinence (primary outcome) will be assessed and biochemically verified at the End of Treatment Visit (week 8), at 12 and 26 weeks after the target quit date. The primary smoking outcome variable will be 7-day point prevalence abstinence (no smoking, not even a puff, for at least 7 days prior to the assessment) biochemically verified by CO < 5 ppm at End of Treatment (week 8), and by saliva cotinine < 15ng/ml at the 12- and 26-week follow-up.
Through Study Completion (End of Treatment Visit, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Weight Change
Time Frame: Through Study Completion (Intake Visit, Baseline Visit, Pre-Quit Visit , Target Quit Date Visit, Mid-Tx. 1 Visit, Mid-Tx 2 Visit, Mid-Tx 3 Visit, Mid-Tx 4 Visit , End of Treatment, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Weight will be measured by a physician's scale (pounds) at the beginning of every in-person visit through study completion. Participants will be wearing light clothing without shoes. Pre-cessation weight will be computed as the average of weights at the Intake and Baseline Visits prior to any change in smoking behavior. Weight change from Baseline to the 26-week follow-up will serve as a primary weight outcome variable.
Through Study Completion (Intake Visit, Baseline Visit, Pre-Quit Visit , Target Quit Date Visit, Mid-Tx. 1 Visit, Mid-Tx 2 Visit, Mid-Tx 3 Visit, Mid-Tx 4 Visit , End of Treatment, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Sub-Study: Seven-day Point Prevalence Abstinence (Carbon Monoxide) at 12 Weeks Post Target Quit Date
Time Frame: 12-Week Follow-Up Visit
Smoking abstinence was assessed and biochemically verified at the 12-week Follow-Up Visit (12 weeks post target quit date). Seven-day point prevalence abstinence (no smoking, not even a puff for the last 7 days prior to the assessment) was biochemically verified by a carbon monoxide (CO) reading <8 parts per million.
12-Week Follow-Up Visit

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Food Intake
Time Frame: Through Study Completion (Baseline Visit, Mid-Tx 3 Visit, End of Treatment Visit, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Food intake (secondary outcome) will be assessed via 3 telephone-administered, 24-hour dietary recalls during the week after (or near) the Baseline Visit, Mid-Treatment 3 Visit (week 4), End of Treatment Visit (week 8) and the 12-week and 26-week follow-up Visits (n=15). A trained member of the research staff will use a multi-pass method with an interactive computerized software program, the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Recall (ASA24®), to determine total kcal/day (outcome variable).
Through Study Completion (Baseline Visit, Mid-Tx 3 Visit, End of Treatment Visit, 12-Week Follow-Up Visit, and 26-Week Follow-Up Visit)
Sub-Study: fMRI BOLD Signal Change
Time Frame: Pre-Treatment fMRI Scan (~week 2), End of Treatment MRI Scan (~week 8)
T2*-weighted Blood Oxygen-Level-Dependent (BOLD) images will be acquired using a wholebrain, single-shot gradient-echo (GE) echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence. BOLD images were captured (and subsequently analyzed) while participants complete a Food Cue-Induced Craving, Relative Reinforcing Value of Food, and Working Memory task inside the MRI Scanner.
Pre-Treatment fMRI Scan (~week 2), End of Treatment MRI Scan (~week 8)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Janet Audrain-McGovern, Ph.D., Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, University of Pennsylvania

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 (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 13, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 28, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 9, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 14, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 20, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 29, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 1, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 825425
  • R01CA206058 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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