Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34794514›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2021

Study protocol: evaluation of the addictive potential of e-cigarettes (EVAPE): neurobiological, sociological, and epidemiological perspectives.

Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Nadja Grundinger, Tatiana Görig, Daria Szafran, Astrid Althaus, Ute Mons, Sven Schneider

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04772014 (The Addictive Potential of the E-Cigarette), which is not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
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.

NCT04772014 completednot on this map

The Addictive Potential of the E-Cigarette: Neurobiological, Sociological and Epidemiological Perspectives

TypeobservationalSponsorCentral Institute of Mental Health, MannheimRan2020 to 2023Enrolled81ConditionsNicotine Use Disorder, Tobacco Use Disorder
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. From Smoking to Vaping: The Motivation for E-cigarette Use at the Neurobiological Level-A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Observational
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Sabine Vollstädt-Klein *Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072, Mannheim, Germany. sabine.vollstaedt-klein@zi-mannheim.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6210-672X
Nadja Grundinger *Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, 68072, Mannheim, Germany.
Tatiana GörigMannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine (MIPH), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Daria SzafranMannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine (MIPH), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Astrid AlthausHeart Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Ute Mons *Heart Center, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Sven Schneider *Mannheim Institute of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine (MIPH), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
University of Mannheim · DEUniversity of Cologne · DEHeidelberg University · DE

Funding

deutsche forschungsgemeinschaft 402170461deutsche forschungsgemeinschaft 437718741
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTobacco use is the largest preventable cause of diseases and deaths; reducing tobacco intake is, therefore, an urgent public health goal. In recent years, e-cigarettes have been marketed as a 'healthier' alternative to tobacco smoking, whilst product features have evolved tremendously in the meantime. A lively scientific debate has developed regarding the potential benefits and risks of e-cigarettes although, surprisingly, there are few studies investigating the addictive potential of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. The present work comprises three work packages investigating the addictive potential of e-cigarettes from different perspectives: (1) the neurobiological addictive potential of e-cigarettes; (2) the experience and perception of dependence symptoms among users of e-cigarettes in a social context; and (3) the epidemiological perspective regarding factors influencing the potential for dependence.

methodsWork package I: the neurobiological study will investigate the key elements of addiction in e-cigarettes compared to tobacco cigarettes using neurobiological and neuropsychological correlates associated with craving, incentive motivation, cue reactivity and attentional bias. Work package II: the sociological study part examines self-reports on the experience and perception of dependence symptoms in a social context, using focus group interviews and the analysis of posts in online discussion forums on e-cigarettes. Work package III: the epidemiological study part focuses on tolerance development and the role of psychosocial and product factors by analyzing longitudinal data from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project (ITC). DISCUSSION: The present study offers a chosen mix of three methodological approaches, thereby comprehensively examining core symptoms of positive and negative reinforcement in addiction. Whether e-cigarettes are as reinforcing and addictive as combustible tobacco cigarettes is an important public health issue with implications for prevention and treatment programs.

trial registrationWork package I: Registered at clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04772014. Work package II: Registered at OSF Registries: https://osf.io/dxgya (2021, January 14).

Indexed as

Behavior, AddictiveElectronic Nicotine Delivery SystemsTobacco ProductsTobacco Use DisorderHumansNicotineNicotineAddictionCravingElectronic cigarettesfMRIFocus groupsLongitudinal dataTobacco use disorderTolerance

Identifiers

PMID34794514
PMCPMC8600891
OpenAlexW3211772997

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.