Text messages may help smokers kick addictionMarch 12, 2011 - 10:55 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Text messages may help smokers kick the addiction, particularly if they are tailored to the individual, according to researchers who conducted two studies on 27 heavy smokers. In one study, functional MRI was used to pinpoint the brain regions most active in controlling urges to smoke, which researchers described as "a war that consists of a series of momentary self-control skirmishes." The study found that participants who had the most activity in the key regions of their brains during testing were also the most likely to resist their desire to smoke - something that was documented in their responses to later text messages. Since the MRI scans predicted a person's ability to control their responses to cravings, the researchers speculated that it may be possible to customize smoking cessation programs to a person's own capacity for self-control. "We are really excited about this result because it means that the brain activation we see in the scanner is predictive of real-world outcomes across a much longer time span than we thought," Elliot Berkman, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, said in a university news release. In the second study, Berkman and colleagues tested whether short text messages could be used to track smokers' attempts to control their smoking urges. The participants were sent eight text messages per day for three weeks reminding them to document their ongoing smoking cravings, cigarette use and mood. The researchers concluded that text messaging is at least as effective as more costly and harder-to-use handheld devices used to collect such data. "Text messaging may be an ideal delivery mechanism for tailored interventions because it is low-cost, most people already possess the existing hardware and the messages can be delivered near-instantaneously into real-world situations," the researchers wrote, HealthDay News reported. Top stories As a result of floods in Armenia’s northern Lori and Tavush provinces, 17 bridges, including five large ones, have collapsed. David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with Stephan Schütz, Executive Partner at Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. Partner news Most popular in the section | Aliyev travels to Turkey at Erdogan's invitation On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. CSTO budget “to be adjusted due to Yerevan’s non-payment of contributions” The CSTO budget for the current year requires adjustments due to the refusal of Yerevan to pay their share of contributions. Russia sends note of protest to Armenia over envoy’s trip to Ukraine’s Bucha Russia has sent a note of protest to Armenia over the visit of Vladimir Karapetyan and Tigran Ter-Margaryan to Bucha. Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. |