Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Smoking Cessation and Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia

What this Trial Is About

People with schizophrenia often have high rates of smoking, which contributes to many health problems including lung and heart diseases. This research evaluates whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT, a group-based therapy, can help change brain responses related to tobacco cravings and reduce psychotic symptoms. The study uses brain scans fMRI and symptom assessments to understand these effects before treatment, after treatment, and six months later. Participants include 60 smokers with schizophrenia who are not currently in other smoking cessation programs, randomly assigned to either group-based ACT sessions or a usual care smoking cessation program called the 5A model. Another 30 non-smokers with schizophrenia will serve as a control group. The ACT group attends eight face-to-face sessions over four weeks, while the 5A group receives a similar duration intervention based on counseling steps. During the study, researchers will collect brain imaging data and measure smoking cessation success, psychiatric symptoms, nicotine dependence, withdrawal symptoms, psychological flexibility, and medication use at three time points before treatment, after treatment, and six months after treatment. The main outcomes include biochemically confirmed smoking abstinence and changes in psychiatric symptoms and brain activity. The total study duration spans from baseline through six months post-intervention.

Effects of Smoking on Network Connectivity in Patients With Schizophrenia Symptoms in Scz Patients