TY  - JOUR
AB  - Background
Automatic tendencies to approach drug-related cues have been linked to the development and maintainance of harmful drug-taking behavior. Recent studies have demonstrated that these automatic approach tendencies can be targeted directly by means of cognitive bias modification (CBM). Moreover, changing those approach tendencies may enhance treatment outcomes. However, training and therapy effects tend to be rather small and adherence to the training might be impaired by time-consuming multiple laboratory training sessions. Here, we present a protocol for a randomized controlled design to improve CBM training efficiency and facilitate access to the training by providing mobile-phone-based training sessions at home to current smokers motivated to quit smoking.

Methods
Participants (n = 100) are current smokers who smoke at least six cigarettes per day for at least 6 months and are willing to quit smoking. All participants attend a brief behavioral smoking cessation intervention (TAU) and are randomly assigned either to an experimental (TAU + training) or a control group. Participants in the experimental condition are given access to a training application (app) aimed at retraining automatic approach biases for smoking cues. Participants are instructed to perform the app training outside the laboratory context on a daily basis for 14 consecutive days. Participants in the control group do not receive the training. Primary outcome measures are changes in smoking-related approach biases and reductions in daily nicotine consumption as assessed at baseline, post-training and at 6-week follow up. Secondary outcome measures include approach biases for alternative stimuli or smoking stimuli to which participants were not exposed during training, attentional and association biases, biochemical outcomes, and self-reported smoking behavior, also measured at three different time points (baseline, post-training, and follow up). After completion of the study, smokers in the control condition will receive access to the training app.

Discussion
This randomized controlled trial is the first to test the effectiveness of an app-based CBM intervention as an adjunct to a brief smoking cessation intervention in smokers motivated to quit smoking. The results of this study can inform future research in the optimization and advancement of CBM treatment for addiction.
AU  - Machulska, Alla
AU  - Kleinke, Kristian
AU  - Eiler, Tanja Joan
AU  - Grünewald, Armin
AU  - Brück, Rainer
AU  - Jahn, Katharina
AU  - Niehaves, Bjoern
AU  - Gethmann, Carl Friedrich
AU  - Klucken, Tim
DA  - 2019
DO  - 10.25819/ubsi/9931
KW  - Kontrollierte klinische Studie
KW  - Approach bias
KW  - Cognitive bias modification
KW  - Nicotine addiction
KW  - Randomized controlled trial
KW  - Smartphone apps
LA  - eng
PY  - 2019
TI  - Retraining automatic action tendencies for smoking using mobile phone-based approach-avoidance bias training: a study protocol for a randomized controlled study
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hbz:467-19199
Y2  - 2024-12-26T21:37:05
ER  -