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Effects of Novel E-cigarette Constituents on Adults TCORS 3.0

Examining Appeal and Addiction Potential of Novel E-cigarette Constituents Among Adults

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05932745
Enrollment
66
Registered
2023-07-06
Start date
2025-06-20
Completion date
2026-08-01
Last updated
2026-06-16

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Nicotine Use Disorder

Keywords

Menthol, cooling components, cigarette, e-cigarette, vaping

Brief summary

This study is an examination of the influence of cooling components of WS-3, WS-23, and menthol on the appeal and addiction potential of nicotine-containing e-liquids among adults.

Detailed description

The investigators will examine the influence of cooling components of WS-3, WS-23 (synthetic coolants) and menthol on the appeal and addiction potential of nicotine-containing e-liquids among adults. Participants will rate the flavor intensity, coolness, sweetness, and irritation/harshness, bitterness experienced using validated rating scales. 66 adult participants (18+ years of age) who are current e-cigarette users will participate in 3 laboratory sessions. Participants will be randomized to receive one of the 3 menthol conditions (no-menthol, low menthol, high menthol) in Lab 1 and will receive the alternative conditions in randomized order in Lab 2 and Lab 3. During each lab session the menthol condition will be paired with three WS-3 concentrations: no WS-3, low (0.1%) WS-3, or high (2.0%) WS-3 and three WS-23 concentrations: low (0.1%) WS-23, high (2.0%) WS-23, or 4% WS-23 in randomized order. All e-cigarettes will contain nicotine salt at a nicotine concentration of \ 59mg/ml and all participants will be exposed to eighteen conditions across 3 lab sessions.

Interventions

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-23) for non-menthol (5)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-23) for low (0.1%) menthol (5)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-23) for high (2.0%) menthol (5)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (4% WS-23) for non-menthol (6)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with 4% WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (4% WS-23) for low (0.1%) menthol (6)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with 4% WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (4% WS-23) for high (2.0%) menthol (6)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with 4% WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (No WS-3) for non-menthol (1)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants without WS-3.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (No WS-3) for low (0.1%) menthol (1)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants without WS-3.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (No WS-3) for high (2.0%) menthol (1)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants without WS-3.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-3) for non-menthol (2)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-3) for low (0.1%) menthol (2)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-3) for high (2.0%) menthol (2)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-3) for non-menthol (3)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-3) for low (0.1%) menthol (3)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (High [2.0%] WS-3) for high (2.0%) menthol (3)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with high WS-3 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-23) for non-menthol (4)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-23) for low (0.1%) menthol (4)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-23 concentration.

OTHERE-liquid coolant (Low [0.1%] WS-23) for high (2.0%) menthol (4)

Adult users of e-cigarette will be exposed to distinct e-liquid coolants with low WS-23 concentration.

Sponsors

Yale University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Masking description

Participants will be given a nicotine containing e-cigarette that could have various levels of cooling flavoring. Participants will not be told the nicotine concentration of the product or the type or concentration of the added coolant or what order it is presented in. Investigator and research assistant (i.e. care provider) will know the doses of nicotine and coolant, but will not know what order coolants are presented to participants.

Intervention model description

All participants receive all 18 study conditions.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* 18 years or older * Able to read and write * Some current e-cigarette use * Urine cotinine ≥200ng/ml * Willing to abstain from tobacco/nicotine use 2 hours prior to sessions

Exclusion criteria

* Current use of non-prescription substances besides nicotine, marijuana, alcohol * Any significant current medical or psychiatric condition * Known hypersensitivity to propylene glycol * Pregnant or lactating females * Uncontrolled asthma * Nut/e-liquid flavorant allergy * Current marijuana (tetrahydrocannabinol) vaping + E-cigarette or vaping use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) symptoms * Dislike of menthol flavor

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Liking: Score change in liking/wanting of each e-cigarette condition (5 conditions in total)Following administration of e-cigarette condition 1 (at 10 minutes), following administration of e-cigarette condition 2 (at 40 minutes)...following administration of e-cigarette condition 6 (at 160 minutes)The Labeled Hedonic Scale will be used to ask about liking and wanting of the e-cigarette (one item Visual Analog Scale with ratings ranging from "most disliked sensation imaginable" to "most liked sensation imaginable" with higher values indicating greater liking).
Reinforcing Efficacy: Score change in drug effects of each e-cigarette condition (5 conditions in total)Following administration of e-cigarette condition 1 (at 10 minutes), following administration of e-cigarette condition 2 (at 40 minutes)...following administration of e-cigarette condition 6 (at 160 minutes)Difference between e-cigarette effects for each e-cigarette condition as measured by the computerized version of the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ). Participants will self-report their responses using a computer mouse to indicate where on the scale response falls. A modified version of the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ) will be used in which participants rate acute responses to the e-cigarette on a 0-100mm scale from "not at all" (0mm) to "extremely" (100mm).
Irritation/Harshness: Score change in irritation of harshness of each e-cigarette condition (5 conditions in total)Following administration of e-cigarette condition 1 (at 10 minutes), following administration of e-cigarette condition 2 (at 40 minutes)...following administration of e-cigarette condition 6 (at 160 minutes)Difference in irritation at each e-cigarette condition as measured by the computerized Generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). Participants will self-report their responses using a computer mouse to indicate where on the scale response falls. The Generalized Labeled Magnitude Scales (gLMS) are category ratio scales with seven semantic labels: "no sensation", "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate", "strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable", positioned quasi-logarithmically as per empirically determined semantic magnitudes on a 0-100 scale (strongest imaginable at the 100 end).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Craving: Change in craving score for e-cigarette from baseline at each e-cigarette condition (5 conditions in total)At baseline (at 0 minute), following administration of e-cigarette condition 1 (at 10 minutes), following administration of e-cigarette condition 2 (at 40 minutes)...following administration of e-cigarette condition 6 (at 160 minutes)Difference from baseline in craving for each e-cigarette condition will be measured by the Generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). Participants will self-report their craving for e cigarettes using a computer mouse to indicate where on the scale response falls. The Generalized Labeled Magnitude Scales (gLMS) are category ratio scales with seven semantic labels: "no sensation", "barely detectable", "weak", "moderate", "strong", "very strong", and "strongest imaginable", positioned quasi-logarithmically as per empirically determined semantic magnitudes on a 0-100 scale (strongest imaginable at the 100 end).
Changes of salivary Nicotine and Cotinine Levels from baseline at each e-cigarette condition (6 conditions in total)At baseline (at 0 minute), Following administration of e-cigarette condition 1 (at 10 minutes), following administration of e-cigarette condition 2 (at 40 minutes)...following administration of e-cigarette condition 6 (at 160 minutes)Saliva samples will be collected following each exposure to product and before each lab sessions to assess change in nicotine/cotinine levels. These levels will be used for correlational analyses with behavioral measures and will be determined using LC/MS techniques at the core laboratory of university.

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTDanielle Davis, PhD
danielle.davis@yale.edu203-974-7607
CONTACTWei Li, PhD
wei.vanness.li@yale.edu
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSuchitra Krishnan-Sarin, PhD

Yale University

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jun 17, 2026