Why do people smoke? What happens when they try to quit?

How does it affect the mind and body? Who benefits the most from different quit-smoking methods such as nicotine patches and the medication Zyban?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has awarded SIUC psychology professor David Gilbert a $2.8 million grant to search for answers.

"We're always trying to find better ways to help people quit smoking," says Gilbert, who is internationally renowned for his work on the psychological and biological bases of nicotine use.

Gilbert established the Smoking Laboratory at SIUC in 1985 to study the psychological and brain mechanisms involved in smoking and quitting smoking. By studying subjects' brain-wave patterns and genetics, he and his large team of student assistants have explored the relationships between nicotine addiction, emotions, and concentration, assessing which smokers are most likely to be able to quit by using behavioral techniques, the nicotine patch, or other aids.

The NIDA award is Gilbert's fourth major smoking-cessation grant. Over the next five years, Gilbert's team will study 220 men and women as they quit smoking over 67 days. They will evaluate the effects of using Zyban versus using a nicotine patch, looking at how the two act on the brain and how they affect participants' concentration and mood.

Scientists will use the findings to come up with new ideas for helping smokers quit permanently and improving current products on the market.