The Zanos Lab is pleased to announce that Dr. Apostolakis has presented research at the Hellenic Psychological Society (ΕΛΨΕ) conference in Ioannina, Greece. The presentation, titled “Stress biomarkers and emotion regulation difficulties as predictive factors of vulnerability to nicotine addiction relapse,” addressed a critical challenge in smoking cessation efforts. Nicotine addiction is characterized by high relapse rates, often attributed to stress-related mechanisms during quit attempts. Dr. Apostolakis’s research examined how acute withdrawal enhances stress reactivity and how individual differences in stress management and smoking impulse control relate to cessation outcomes. The study aimed to identify physiological and psychological indicators that predict relapse, focusing specifically on stress reactivity and emotion regulation in a community sample of adults aged 18-65 who were attempting to quit smoking. The research employed a two-day experimental protocol during which the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) was administered on day one and again after 24 hours of nicotine abstinence. Brain activity was evaluated using electroencephalography to record stress reactivity during both smoking satiation and 24-hour abstinence periods, while emotion regulation difficulties were assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Smoking cessation maintenance was evaluated at the three-month mark. The researchers hypothesized that 24-hour abstinence would lead to decreased alpha wave power and increased beta wave power in prefrontal regions compared to the smoking satiation state, indicating increased stress response. Furthermore, the difference between satiation and abstinence states was expected to be moderated by difficulties in emotion regulation, with greater difficulties linked to increased stress reactivity and higher relapse rates. This important study aimed to enhance our understanding of relapse mechanisms and support the development of tailored interventions for nicotine addiction. The presentation was well-received by conference attendees and represents a significant contribution to addiction research from our lab.