Effects of Smoking on Network Connectivity in Patients With Schizophrenia Symptoms in Scz Patients

Functional neuroimaging (fMRI) will be combined with symptoms assessment in order to ascertain whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is effective in modifying the brain's responses in general and specifically to tobacco craving cues and resting-state functional connectivity in three time points (pre-, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up) among people with schizophrenia. 60 Participants who are currently smoking but not undergoing any smoking cessation or similar programme will be assigned to one of the two smoking cessation intervention programmes either by (i) using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT-SC) group or (ii) 5A model (Ask, Assess, Advice, Assist \& Arrange) smoking cessation intervention (5A-SC) group; 30 participants who are not smokers will be assigned to a non-smoking control group (NS-CG). Study design: Randomized controlled trial Group assignment: Parallel Disease group: Mental and behavioural disorders Key conditions under study: schizophrenia; nicotine dependence