Effects of different nicotine replacement therapies on postcessation psychological responses

Abstract

Transdermal nicotine patch (TN) and nicotine nasal spray (NS) are both efficacious forms of smoking cessation treatment, but have different pharmacokinetic properties and modes of action. To understand better psychological responses to treatment, we investigated the effects of TN versus NS on positive affect, negative affect, and withdrawal symptoms during treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to receive TN ( n=172) or NS ( n=163) plus seven sessions of behavioral counseling, and completed self-report questionnaires at pretreatment and during treatment. TN participants, but not NS participants, reported significant increases in positive affect during treatment. Increases in negative affect and withdrawal were observed, independent of treatment. Only changes in negative affect predicted relapse by the end of the treatment phase. These findings indicate that, although TN may enhance positive affect for smokers in treatment compared with NS, only changes in negative affect predict treatment outcome.