Message ExposureNCT05829863
A Neuroimaging Approach to Advance Mechanistic Understanding of Tobacco Use Escalation Risk Among Young Adult African American Vapers
A study testing educational message exposure in people with Message Exposure, run by University of Georgia at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
60 young adult African American vapers who are not current smokers will participate in a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, with 4 weekly follow-up surveys to gauge their tobacco use behaviors following the baseline scan. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 29 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Message Exposure
- What is being tested?
- educational message exposure
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 24 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 May 2023to 31 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 29 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- 18-29 years old
- used e-cigarettes or other vaping devices at least once during the past 30 days
- did not smoke or use cigarettes during the past 30 days
- self-identify as African American
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible and safe
Who cannot join
- younger than 18 years old, or older than 29 years old
- did not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices during the past 30 days
- smoked or use cigarettes at least once during the past 30 days
- history of a major neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorder
- MRI contraindications
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
UGA Bio-imaging Research Center
Athens, Georgia, 30602
About this study
60 young adult African American vapers who are not current smokers will participate in a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, with 4 weekly follow-up surveys to gauge their tobacco use behaviors following the baseline scan. Baseline fMRI tasks will probe critical neurocognitive markers with high potential to account for individual differences in nicotine use prognosis and responsiveness to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs).
Read the detailed description
60 African American young adult current vapers will be recruited from multiple sources including the University of Georgia (UGA) student research pools from the Communication and Psychology Departments, flyers, yard signs, local community liaisons, and via Craigslist and social media ads. The screening will begin with a brief online survey. The link to the survey will be included in the research pool websites, flyers, and social media ads. Those eligible after the screening will be invited to interview via Zoom for a more detailed assessment of eligibility. Eligible participants will be sent a pre-scan survey (about 0.5 hours) 24 hours prior to the in-person lab visit. They will then be invited to a 3-hour visit to UGA's Bioimaging Research Center (BIRC) and instructed to vape, or not, as usual that day. Upon arrival, participants' eligibility will be confirmed, and written informed consent will be obtained. Breath and urine samples will be collected to biochemically confirm the level of nicotine exposure (i.e., tobacco use severity), and hair and fingernail samples will be collected to gauge their chronic stress levels, followed by the remaining pre-scan measures. Participants will then be trained to perform the fMRI tasks. During fMRI, they will wear earplugs and MR-compatible vision correction, if needed, and lie on the scanner table. Stimuli will be back-projected, and responses collected using a four-button response box configured to allow on-screen Likert scale ratings of 1-7, both via Eprime 3.0 software. MRI will last approximately 60min, followed by post-scan measures (about 0.5 hours).
After the baseline fMRI scan, participants will be exposed to (1) traditional cue reactivity stimuli used in tobacco research, including vaping, smoking, and office product images and scenarios, (2) e-cigarette packaging stimuli featuring menthol and tobacco flavors, and (3) static, visual, and textual anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs). Immediately following each condition, participants are asked to assess their levels of craving for vaping and smoking. Their evaluations of the stimuli viewed in the scanner will also be conducted in post-scan survey after the 1-hour fMRI scan is completed.
In the next 4 weeks following the baseline scan, participants will receive a weekly survey link in their emails and text messages. In the survey, they will be asked to recall their tobacco and other substance use behavior during the past 7 days.
- Conditions
- Message Exposure
- Being tested
- educational message exposure
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
educational message exposureBehavioural
Exposing African American young adult vapers to persuasive anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) with the goal of reducing their subsequent e-cigarette use.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Message exposure | Experimental | Participants will all be exposed to anti-vaping PSAs utilizing cognitive, emotional, and social appeals, aiming to persuade them to reduce or quit using e-cigarettes. Receives: Behavioral: educational message exposure |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self-report smoking severity in the following month
The weekly number of cigarettes smoked will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily cigarette use for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly smoking severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the smoking severity in that month.
Measured: 1 month
Self-report vaping severity in the following month
The weekly number of vaping sessions (a vaping session refers to a minimum of about 15 puffs or vaping that lasts around 10 minutes) will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily vaping sessions for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly vaping severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the vaping severity in that month.
Measured: 1 month
Self-report vaping intention
Right after the fMRI scan and the anti-vaping PSA exposure, participants will be asked to indciate their intention to use e-cigarette in the next week.
Measured: 1 week
Secondary outcomes (3)
Message effectiveness perceptions
The perceived message effectiveness of the anti-vaping PSAs will be evaluated using the Perceived Message Effectiveness scale, which is consisted of four items (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Example items included "This message was convincing" and "Reading this message helped me feel confident about how to best deal with vaping."
Measured: 1 week
Self-report other tobacco use severity in the following month
Frequency of other tobacco use will be assessed by the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily use of other tobacco for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly other tobacco use severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the other tobacco use severity in that month.
Measured: 1 month
Self-report other substance use severity in the following month
The frequency of other substance use will be assessed by the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily use of other substances (including alcohol and marijuana) for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly other substance use severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the other substance use severity in that month.
Measured: 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Apr 2023
- Study start1 May 2023
- Primary completion31 May 2025
- Study completion31 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Message ExposureStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- During the baseline fMRI scan, participants will be exposed to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) utilizing cognitive, emotional and social appeals to address the negative consequences of vaping.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Georgia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jiaying Liu, University of Georgia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05829863
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R21DA056570
- Status last verified
- Sep 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Apr 2023
- Last updated
- 23 Sep 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The proposed research is under the 500k threshold for required resource sharing. The PI and research team are committed to resource sharing; however, in the context of the proposed study, no plans are in place to make data available outside of the research team.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Neuroimaging Approach to Advance Mechanistic Understanding of Tobacco Use Escalation Risk Among Young Adult African American Vapers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05829863
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- R21DA056570
- Conditions
- Message Exposure
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 24 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of GeorgiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
60 young adult African American vapers who are not current smokers will participate in a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, with 4 weekly follow-up surveys to gauge their tobacco use behaviors following the baseline scan. Baseline fMRI tasks will probe critical neurocognitive markers with high potential to account for individual differences in nicotine use prognosis and responsiveness to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs).
Detailed description
60 African American young adult current vapers will be recruited from multiple sources including the University of Georgia (UGA) student research pools from the Communication and Psychology Departments, flyers, yard signs, local community liaisons, and via Craigslist and social media ads. The screening will begin with a brief online survey. The link to the survey will be included in the research pool websites, flyers, and social media ads. Those eligible after the screening will be invited to interview via Zoom for a more detailed assessment of eligibility. Eligible participants will be sent a pre-scan survey (about 0.5 hours) 24 hours prior to the in-person lab visit. They will then be invited to a 3-hour visit to UGA's Bioimaging Research Center (BIRC) and instructed to vape, or not, as usual that day. Upon arrival, participants' eligibility will be confirmed, and written informed consent will be obtained. Breath and urine samples will be collected to biochemically confirm the level of nicotine exposure (i.e., tobacco use severity), and hair and fingernail samples will be collected to gauge their chronic stress levels, followed by the remaining pre-scan measures. Participants will then be trained to perform the fMRI tasks. During fMRI, they will wear earplugs and MR-compatible vision correction, if needed, and lie on the scanner table. Stimuli will be back-projected, and responses collected using a four-button response box configured to allow on-screen Likert scale ratings of 1-7, both via Eprime 3.0 software. MRI will last approximately 60min, followed by post-scan measures (about 0.5 hours).
After the baseline fMRI scan, participants will be exposed to (1) traditional cue reactivity stimuli used in tobacco research, including vaping, smoking, and office product images and scenarios, (2) e-cigarette packaging stimuli featuring menthol and tobacco flavors, and (3) static, visual, and textual anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs). Immediately following each condition, participants are asked to assess their levels of craving for vaping and smoking. Their evaluations of the stimuli viewed in the scanner will also be conducted in post-scan survey after the 1-hour fMRI scan is completed.
In the next 4 weeks following the baseline scan, participants will receive a weekly survey link in their emails and text messages. In the survey, they will be asked to recall their tobacco and other substance use behavior during the past 7 days.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- During the baseline fMRI scan, participants will be exposed to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) utilizing cognitive, emotional and social appeals to address the negative consequences of vaping.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Message exposure | Experimental | Behavioral: educational message exposureParticipants will all be exposed to anti-vaping PSAs utilizing cognitive, emotional, and social appeals, aiming to persuade them to reduce or quit using e-cigarettes. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 29 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 18-29 years old
- used e-cigarettes or other vaping devices at least once during the past 30 days
- did not smoke or use cigarettes during the past 30 days
- self-identify as African American
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible and safe
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- younger than 18 years old, or older than 29 years old
- did not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices during the past 30 days
- smoked or use cigarettes at least once during the past 30 days
- history of a major neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorder
- MRI contraindications
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| educational message exposureExposing African American young adult vapers to persuasive anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) with the goal of reducing their subsequent e-cigarette use. | Behavioural | Message exposure |
Primary outcome
Self-report smoking severity in the following month
Time frame: 1 month
The weekly number of cigarettes smoked will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily cigarette use for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly smoking severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the smoking severity in that month.
Self-report vaping severity in the following month
Time frame: 1 month
The weekly number of vaping sessions (a vaping session refers to a minimum of about 15 puffs or vaping that lasts around 10 minutes) will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily vaping sessions for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly vaping severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the vaping severity in that month.
Self-report vaping intention
Time frame: 1 week
Right after the fMRI scan and the anti-vaping PSA exposure, participants will be asked to indciate their intention to use e-cigarette in the next week.
3 secondary outcomes
Message effectiveness perceptions
Time frame: 1 week
Self-report other tobacco use severity in the following month
Time frame: 1 month
Self-report other substance use severity in the following month
Time frame: 1 month
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Sep 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The proposed research is under the 500k threshold for required resource sharing. The PI and research team are committed to resource sharing; however, in the context of the proposed study, no plans are in place to make data available outside of the research team.
Related trials for Message Exposure
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Recruiting
DoubleTake: Effect of Message Exposure Via a Discrete Choice Experiment With Eye-Tracking on Quit Attempts Among Adults Who Smoke Menthol Cigarettes
Menthol Cigarettes, Smoking Behavior
Recruiting
Assessing the Effectiveness of Heat Adaptation Digital Messages From Primary Care Providers to Their Patients on the Change in Behaviour for Heatwave-related Preparedness
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Not yet recruitingEarly Phase 1
Leveraging Video Logs as a Bridge to Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) With Tailored Messaging to Black Women and Their Healthcare Providers in Texas.
HIV Prevention
Active, not recruitingObservational study
HIV/STD Risk and PrEP Implementation Messaging Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men
Sexually Transmitted Infections, Gay
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing educational message exposure in people with Message Exposure, run by University of Georgia at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Self-report smoking severity in the following month (time frame: 1 month). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Sep 2025.