# Longitudinal Examination of Abstinence Maintenance and Relapse in Cigarette Smokers

> **NIH NIH R21** · PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE · 2021 · $200,625

## Abstract

Project Summary: Approximately fifteen percent of individuals in the US smoke cigarettes. Despite multiple
attempts to quit, most smoking cessation attempt fails within one year. Predicting who will be unable to remain
abstinent from smoking would improve cessation outcomes by providing objective feedback regarding relapse
risk and allowing for more efficient allocation of relapse prevention resources. Our own pilot data and recent
reviews of the literature suggest considerable promise in identifying biomarkers for relapse using neuroimaging
approaches. While some studies have begun to investigate relapse prediction, few, if any studies have exam-
ined the process of relapse or prolonged abstinence longitudinally after initial abstinence has been achieved.
The focus of this proposal is to derive neuroimaging markers that prospectively predict subsequent relapse as
well as to understand how the brain changes to support continued abstinence. To accomplish the aims of this
project, 50 former smokers who have quit within the last three to six months will complete functional MRI scans
of cognitive control, cue reactivity, and intrinsic connectivity at baseline and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up ses-
sions to identify those biomarkers that are stable over time prior to relapse. Deriving neural predictors of future
relapse among those individuals who have recently made a quit attempt could be extremely important for patient-
treatment matching and/or differential allocation of resources based on risk for relapse. In addition, by identifying
the changes that occur in brain function after recovery, it may be possible to target relevant networks with brain
stimulation techniques.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10415782
- **Project number:** 7R21DA048422-02
- **Recipient organization:** PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric D Claus
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $200,625
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10415782

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10415782, Longitudinal Examination of Abstinence Maintenance and Relapse in Cigarette Smokers (7R21DA048422-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10415782. Licensed CC0.

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