Participants wanted for a paid experiment investigating the role dopamine plays in smoking

The experiment is for cigarette smokers, including those who only smoke infrequently and also those who smoke on a daily basis. The experiment involves taking a drug called pramipexole, which is usually used to treat Parkinson's disease.

Pramipexole is safe for humans to consume, so long as you meet various eligibility criteria that researchers will check beforehand. There are a few minor side effects of pramipexole, such as drowsiness, which researchers will also discuss with participants beforehand.

The experiment involves two sessions, separated by about one week. Each session lasts for around three hours, so participants will spend around six hours in total taking part the experiment. 

Participants will be paid £45 plus any money won through computer tasks conducted as part of the study, which is usually about £4 per session. 

During the experiment participants will complete various computer tasks and questionnaires that will examine aspects of decision-making and motivation.

Criteria

In order to take part participants must:

• Smoke, on average, a few cigarettes each week (e.g. three) OR smoke, on average, many cigarettes each day (e.g. 15)
• Be aged 18-50
• Speak good English
• Not be pregnant or breast-feeding
• Not have tumours of the adrenal or pituitary glands
• Not have reduced kidney or liver functioning
• Not have a known intolerance of pramipexole
• Not be taking other psychiatric medication

If you are interested in taking part, please email: smoking.study.2015@gmail.com, and include your telephone number so that researchers can call you to go through eligibility criteria before taking part in the experiment.

The experiment is ongoing and you can take part whenever suits you. The experiment will take place at 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB.

This study has full ethical approval (2504/004).

William Lawn, PhD student, Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, UCL Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology.