Introduction: a growing body of evidence suggests that smokers high in Anxiety Sensitivity may misinterpret their physical sensations during nicotine withdrawal and becoming more vulnerable to panic. However, catastrophic misinterpretation has not been measured in the published studies. We evaluated the effects of Anxiety Sensitivity and Somatosensory Amplification, as a proxy of catastrophic misinterpretation, on a panic-like response to the 35% Carbon Dioxide (CO2) challenge in smokers under nicotine abstinence and in smokers under nicotine replacement treatment conditions. Methods: a placebo-controlled, double-blind design was used. Twenty-six smokers were asked to refrain from smoking for 12 hours while wearing a placebo or a Nicotine Replacement Treatment patch. Thereafter, they underwent the 35% CO2 challenge. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Somatosensory Amplification as well as physiological (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure) and psychological (i.e., subjective and objective anxiety, fear, discomfort) variables were assessed. Results: the synergy between high levels of nicotine withdrawal symptoms (NWS) and high Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) moderates the fear response to the challenge assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale for Fear (high NWS and high AS > low NWS and low AS, p = 0.010; high NWS and high AS > high NWS and low AS, p < 0.012; high NWS and high AS > low NWS And high AS, p = 0.079). On the contrary, a moderation between nicotine withdrawal and Somatosensory Amplification was not verified. Conclusions: high levels of Anxiety Sensitivity, together with intense withdrawal symptoms, can increase the risk of panic in smokers.

The effects of Anxiety Sensitivity and Somatosensory Amplification on the 35% Carbon Dioxide challenge in abstinent smokers / Giulia Anna Aldi; Giuly Bertoli; Francesca Ferraro; Fiammetta Cosci. - In: PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS. - ISSN 0033-3190. - ELETTRONICO. - 82:(2013), pp. 2-2.

The effects of Anxiety Sensitivity and Somatosensory Amplification on the 35% Carbon Dioxide challenge in abstinent smokers

BERTOLI, GIULY;COSCI, FIAMMETTA
2013

Abstract

Introduction: a growing body of evidence suggests that smokers high in Anxiety Sensitivity may misinterpret their physical sensations during nicotine withdrawal and becoming more vulnerable to panic. However, catastrophic misinterpretation has not been measured in the published studies. We evaluated the effects of Anxiety Sensitivity and Somatosensory Amplification, as a proxy of catastrophic misinterpretation, on a panic-like response to the 35% Carbon Dioxide (CO2) challenge in smokers under nicotine abstinence and in smokers under nicotine replacement treatment conditions. Methods: a placebo-controlled, double-blind design was used. Twenty-six smokers were asked to refrain from smoking for 12 hours while wearing a placebo or a Nicotine Replacement Treatment patch. Thereafter, they underwent the 35% CO2 challenge. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Somatosensory Amplification as well as physiological (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure) and psychological (i.e., subjective and objective anxiety, fear, discomfort) variables were assessed. Results: the synergy between high levels of nicotine withdrawal symptoms (NWS) and high Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) moderates the fear response to the challenge assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale for Fear (high NWS and high AS > low NWS and low AS, p = 0.010; high NWS and high AS > high NWS and low AS, p < 0.012; high NWS and high AS > low NWS And high AS, p = 0.079). On the contrary, a moderation between nicotine withdrawal and Somatosensory Amplification was not verified. Conclusions: high levels of Anxiety Sensitivity, together with intense withdrawal symptoms, can increase the risk of panic in smokers.
2013
Giulia Anna Aldi; Giuly Bertoli; Francesca Ferraro; Fiammetta Cosci
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/817123
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