Neural Effects of Nicotine during Auditory Selective Attention in Smokers: An Event-Related Potential Study

Vol. 53, No. 3, 2006

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Original Paper

Neural Effects of Nicotine during Auditory Selective Attention in Smokers: An Event-Related Potential Study
Verner Knott^a, Crystal Blais^a, Carole Scherling^c, Jordan Camarda^b, Anne Millar^a, Derek Fisher^a, Judy McIntosh^a

^aUniversity of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research and
^bSchool of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, and
^cDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Canada

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuropsychobiology 2006;53:115-126 (DOI: 10.1159/000092541)

Key Words

Smoking
Nicotine
Auditory selective attention
Event-related potentials
N100
Negative difference component
Mismatch negativity
P300

Abstract

Acute nicotine has been found to improve task performance in smokers after smoking abstinence, but the attentional processes mediating these improvements are unclear. Since scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) have been shown to be sensitive indicators of selective attention, the effects of acutely administered nicotine were examined on ERPs and concomitant behavioural performance measures in an auditory selective attention task. Ten (6 males) overnight smoking-abstinent cigarette smokers received nicotine gum (4 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. In a dichotic listening task [which required participants to attend and detect (target) deviant stimuli in one ear and to ignore similar stimuli in the other ear] which included ERP recordings and assessment of response speed and accuracy measures, nicotine gum failed to alter behavioural performance or amplitudes of ERP components sensitive to selective attention [reflected in the N100 and negative difference (Nd) component] or to pre-attentive detection of acoustic change [reflected in the mismatch negativity (MMN) component]. However, nicotine did influence the speed of these voluntary selective processes, as reflected by shortened latencies of the early Nd component. The findings are discussed in relation to the stimulus filter theory of smoking, and with respect to nicotine's actions on involuntary and controlled aspects of selective attention processes.

Author Contacts

V. Knott
Clinical Neuroelectrophysiology and Cognitive Research Laboratory
University of Ottawa Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Mental Health Research Royal Ottawa Hospital, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. K1Z 7K4 (Canada)
Tel. +1 613 722 6521, ext. 6843, Fax +1 613 722 5048, E-Mail vknott@rohcg.on.ca

Article Information

Received: June 7, 2005
Accepted after revision: December 11, 2005
Published online: April 4, 2006
Number of Print Pages : 12
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 90

Medline Abstract (ID 16601362)

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