Scientists scan brains to catch smoking lapses before they happen
NCT ID NCT05572671
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study uses brain scans (fMRI) to see what happens in the brain just before a smoker lapses (takes a cigarette during a quit attempt). Researchers will have 150 smokers complete a task where they can delay smoking for money, while their brain activity and feelings are measured. The goal is to understand why lapses happen, which could lead to better ways to prevent relapse.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal brain patterns that predict a smoking lapse, pointing toward better strategies to help people quit smoking.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, not testing a treatment. It may not find clear brain signals, and results may not apply to all smokers.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2023
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must be between the ages of 21 and 65. * Participants must be fluent English speakers. * Participants must pass an MRI safety screening. * Participants must report smoking at least six cigarettes per day continuously for at least the 12 preceding months. * Participants must have a baseline expired-air carbon monoxide exceeding 10 parts per million in order to verify smoking status. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals will be excluded if they report that they are not willing to refrain from using nicotine for 12 hours before the experimental lab visit. * Individuals will be excluded if they have any known risk from exposure to high-field strength magnetic fields (e.g., pacemakers), any irremovable metallic foreign objects in their body (e.g., braces), or a questionable history of metallic fragments that are likely to create artifact on the MRI scans.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Pennsylvania State University
RECRUITINGUniversity Park, Pennsylvania, 16870, United States
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