Evidence map›Paper›PMID 21060996›Full record

SynthesisPsychopharmacology2011

An updated meta-analysis of nicotine preloading for smoking cessation: investigating mediators of the effect.

Nicola Lindson, Paul Aveyard

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychopharmacology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Optimized Smoking Treatment Delivered in Primary Care.Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine · 2018
    Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. A mechanistic test of nicotine replacement therapy sampling for smoking cessation induction.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2015
    Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Trial
  15. Effects of varenicline on abstinence and smoking reward following a programmed lapse.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2013
    Trial
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Power-up: A Reanalysis of 'Power Failure' in Neuroscience Using Mixture Modeling.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 2017
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Nicola LindsonUK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Primary Care Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. nll839@bham.ac.uk
Paul Aveyard

Funding

British Heart Foundation PG/08/047/25082
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleUsing nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) whilst smoking, prior to quitting, is called preloading. Two reviews have estimated the effect of preloading on abstinence, but need updating. Neither investigated possible mediators or moderators of the effect, which could have implications for individual treatment plans.

objectivesTo update the nicotine preloading efficacy estimate and test four hypotheses: (1) Efficacy is mediated through reduced smoking reward, (2) efficacy is mediated through increased NRT adherence post-quit, (3) efficacy is mediated through increased confidence, and (4) behavioural support modifies efficacy.

methodsRandomised controlled trials were included that allocated cigarette smokers attempting to quit to either a preloading or control condition. A Mantel–Haenszel fixed-effect model was used to calculate risk ratios from quit rates at short- and long-term follow-ups. We carried out sub-group analyses and synthesised the data available on possible mediators and moderators qualitatively.

resultsEight relevant studies were included, with 2,813 participants. The risk ratio (RR) for short-term abstinence was 1.05, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 0.92, 1.19, and for long-term abstinence 1.16, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.38. There was a marginal benefit of using nicotine patch rather than gum for preloading, significant at short-term follow-up, and no significant benefit of more intensive pre-quit behavioural support.

conclusionsWe found a weak non-significant effect of nicotine preloading on abstinence. None of our mediational hypotheses received strong support, however evidence suggests that efficacy was enhanced by the patch over acute NRT. Future research needs to investigate the mechanisms of preloading by carrying out mediational analysis.

Indexed as

Smoking CessationDatabases, FactualHumansModels, BiologicalNicotineNicotinic AgonistsOdds RatioOutcome Assessment, Health CareRewardTobacco Use DisorderNicotineNicotinic Agonists

Identifiers

PMID21060996

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.