SmokeFreeBrain: brains can tell the effective anti-smoking PSAs

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Smoking is the largest avoidable cause of preventable morbidity worldwide. At the University of Rome "Sapienza" BrainSigns is conducting a research - funded by European Union – which investigates the neurophysiological features that an anti-smoking campaign needs to have in order to be effective.

The European project SmokeFreeBrain began in November 2015, will last for three years and involves 12 international partners. The study is aimed to apply scientific approaches, already existing, to the prevention of lung diseases caused by tobacco smoking, as well as to develop new treatments and to analyze the possibilities that can be really implemented in the local and global health systems.

SmokeFreeBrain follows an interdisciplinary approach exploiting the consortium's partners' expertise in various relevant fields in order to generate new knowledge.
State-of-the-art techniques in toxicology, pulmonary medicine, neuroscience and behavioral studies are utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of:
• the use of electronic cigarettes with and without nicotine as a harm reduction approach and/or cessation aid
• a specifically developed neurofeedback intervention protocol against smoking addiction
• a specifically developed intervention protocol based on mobile apps
Public Service Announcement (PSA) and pharmacologic interventions against smoking

Giulia

Neurobiology Researcher