52 research outputs found
Nicotine enhances an auditory Event-Related Potential component which is inversely related to habituation
Nicotine is a psychoactive substance that is commonly consumed in the
context of music. However, the reason why music and nicotine are coconsumed
is uncertain. One possibility is that nicotine affects cognitive
processes relevant to aspects of music appreciation in a beneficial way.
Here we investigated this possibility using Event-Related Potentials (ERPs).
Participants underwent a simple decision-making task (to maintain
attentional focus), responses to which were signaled by auditory stimuli.
Unlike most previous research looking at the effects of nicotine on auditory
processing, we used tones of different pitch, a fundamental element of
music. In addition, unlike most other studies, we tested non-smoking
subjects to avoid withdrawal-related complications. We found that nicotine
(4.0 mg, administered as gum) increased P2 amplitude in the frontal
region. Since a decrease in P2 amplitude and latency is related to
habituation processes, and an enhanced ability to disengage from
irrelevant stimuli, our findings suggest that nicotine may cause a reduction
in habituation, resulting in non-smokers being less able to adapt to
repeated stimuli. A corollary of that decrease in adaptation may be that
nicotine extends the temporal window during which a listener is able and
willing to engage with a piece of music
Acute effects of nicotine on visual search tasks in young adult smokers
Rationale Nicotine is known to improve performance on tests involving sustained attention and recent research suggests that nicotine may also improve performance on tests involving the strategic allocation of attention and working memory. Objectives We used measures of accuracy and response latency combined with eye-tracking techniques to examine the effects of nicotine on visual search tasks. Methods In experiment 1 smokers and non-smokers performed pop-out and serial search tasks. In experiment 2, we used a within-subject design and a more demanding search task for multiple targets. In both studies, 2-h abstinent smokers were asked to smoke one of their own cigarettes between baseline and tests. Results In experiment 1, pop-out search times were faster after nicotine, without a loss in accuracy. Similar effects were observed for serial searches, but these were significant only at a trend level. In experiment 2, nicotine facilitated a strategic change in eye movements resulting in a higher proportion of fixations on target letters. If the cigarette was smoked on the first trial (when the task was novel), nicotine additionally reduced the total number of fixations and refixations on all letters in the display. Conclusions Nicotine improves visual search performance by speeding up search time and enabling a better focus of attention on task relevant items. This appears to reflect more efficient inhibition of eye movements towards task irrelevant stimuli, and better active maintenance of task goals. When the task is novel, and therefore more difficult, nicotine lessens the need to refixate previously seen letters, suggesting an improvement in working memory
Salivary cotinine concentrations in daily smokers in Barcelona, Spain: a cross-sectional study
Background: Characterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction. This study describes and characterizes determinants of salivary cotinine concentration in a sample of Spanish adult daily smoker men and women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2004 and December 2005 in a representative sample of 1245 people from the general population of Barcelona, Spain. A standard questionnaire was used to gather information on active tobacco smoking and passive exposure, and a saliva specimen was obtained to determine salivary cotinine concentration. Two hundred and eleven adult smokers (>16 years old) with complete data were included in the analysis. Determinants of cotinine concentrations were assessed using linear regression models. Results: Salivary cotinine concentration was associated with the reported number of cigarettes smoked in the previous 24 hours (R2 = 0.339; p < 0.05). The inclusion of a quadratic component for number of cigarettes smoked in the regression analyses resulted in an improvement of the fit (R2 = 0.386; p < 0.05). Cotinine concentration differed significantly by sex, with men having higher levels. Conclusion: This study shows that salivary cotinine concentration is significantly associated with the number of cigarettes smoked and sex, but not with other smoking-related variables
Potential for non-combustible nicotine products to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in smoking: a systematic review and synthesis of best available evidence
While some experts have emphasised the potential for e-cigarettes to facilitate cessation among smokers with low socioeconomic status (SES), there is limited evidence of their likely equity impact. We assessed the potential for electronic cigarettes and other non-combustible nicotine-containing products (NCNPs) to reduce inequalities in smoking by systematically reviewing evidence on their use by SES in countries at stage IV of the cigarette epidemic
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