Grant Number:	5R01CA173551-05 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Abrantes, Ana
Organization:	Butler Hospital (Providence, Ri)
Project Title:	Aerobic Exercise for Smokers with Depressive Symptomatology
Fiscal Year:	2017

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There exists a well-established relationship between smoking and depressive symptomatology. The problem of relapse continues to plague public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of cigarette smoking among smokers with elevated depressive symptoms. Intervening to increase aerobic exercise among smokers with elevated depressive symptoms represents one potentially efficacious approach for it may directly influence cessation outcomes and have ancillary physical and mental health benefits in this population. In a small pilot trial (K23 DA019950; PI Ana Abrantes, PhD), we demonstrated that the subgroup of smokers with elevated depressive symptoms who participated in the exercise condition (relative to the health education contact control) had higher abstinence rates at end of treatment and up to the 12-month follow-up. In addition, participants in the exercise condition also demonstrated significantly lower negative affect related withdrawal symptoms as well as depressive symptoms in the early weeks of smoking cessation. This preliminary work is the first study to demonstrate that an at-risk group of smokers with elevated depressive symptoms could uniquely benefit from exercise while quitting smoking. We propose to conduct a randomized, controlled trial with 250 smokers with currently elevated depressive symptoms to test the efficacy of a 12-week, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention (AE) vs. a 12- session, health education comparison (HEC) condition. Both conditions will be equated for therapist and participant contact time. Participants in both conditions will receive identical smoking cessation sessions - 8 weeks of telephone counseling with transdermal nicotine patch (TNP). While capitalizing on the synergistic effects of exercise for both reducing depressive symptoms and promoting smoking cessation, the long-term goal of this program of research is to develop an effective, disseminable exercise intervention that can aid smokers with elevated depressive symptoms quit smoking. We expect that the results of this study will establish the AE intervention as efficacious for tobacco cessation in smokers with elevated depressive symptoms and will produce valuable scientific knowledge regarding the psychological and biological mechanisms of action. The public health significance of this program of research lies in the potential for adapting the AE intervention for future dissemination to community fitness venues (e.g., YMCA, local health club/gym), primary care settings and for use in conjunction with state tobacco quitlines, in the hopes of decreasing the overall prevalence of cigarette smoking, thereby reducing smoking-related morbidity and mortality.




Randomized Controlled Trial of Aerobic Exercise for Smoking Cessation Among Individuals With Elevated Depressive Symptoms.
Authors: Abrantes A.M. , Browne J. , Uebelacker L.A. , Anderson B.J. , Barter S. , Shah Z. , Kunicki Z.J. , Caviness C. , Price L.H. , Desaulniers J. , et al. .
Source: Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official Journal Of The Society For Research On Nicotine And Tobacco, 2024-04-22 00:00:00.0; 26(5), p. 634-638.
PMID: 37819741
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Circulating Cell-Free Mitochondrial DNA and Depressive Symptoms Among Low-Active Adults Who Smoke.
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Source: Psychosomatic Medicine, 2024-01-01 00:00:00.0; 86(1), p. 37-43.
EPub date: 2023-09-29 00:00:00.0.
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An examination of the effects of distress intolerance and rating of perceived exertion on changes in mood and anxiety following aerobic exercise among treatment-seeking smokers.
Authors: Borges A.M. , Uebelacker L.A. , Brown R.A. , Price L.H. , Abrantes A.M. .
Source: Psychology, Health & Medicine, 2022-05-31 00:00:00.0; , p. 1-9.
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Examining the effect of exercise on the relationship between affect and cravings among smokers engaged in cessation treatment.
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Source: Addictive Behaviors, 2022 Feb; 125, p. 107156.
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Anxiety sensitivity and daily cigarette smoking in relation to sleep disturbances in treatment-seeking smokers.
Authors: Farris S.G. , Matsko S.V. , Uebelacker L.A. , Brown R.A. , Price L.H. , Abrantes A.M. .
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Anxiety Sensitivity is Associated with Lower Enjoyment and an Anxiogenic Response to Physical Activity in Smokers.
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Source: Cognitive Therapy And Research, 2019 Feb; 43(1), p. 78-87.
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Pain worsening with physical activity during migraine attacks in women with overweight/obesity: A prospective evaluation of frequency, consistency, and correlates.
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Anxiety sensitivity predicts increased perceived exertion during a 1-mile walk test among treatment-seeking smokers.
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The Role of Physical Activity Enjoyment on the Acute Mood Experience of Exercise among Smokers with Elevated Depressive Symptoms.
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