Severity of nicotine dependence moderates performance on perceptual-motor tests of attention.

Full Abstract

Acute abstinence from cigarette smoking by nicotine-dependent smokers has been linked with cognitive deficits, but the role of nicotine dependence per se in these effects is not known. We therefore tested the relationships of nicotine dependence and smoking history with performance in perceptual-motor, timed tests of attention. Nicotine-dependent smokers (n = 37) and nonsmokers (n = 48), 18-55 years old, took both the d2 Test of Attention and the Digit Symbol Test on each of 2 test days. For smokers, testing on one day began after ad libitum smoking (<45 min since last cigarette); and on the other day, it began after overnight abstinence (>13 hr since last cigarette). On each test day, there were two test blocks with an intervening break, when only the smokers each smoked one cigarette. There were no significant effects of abstinence or of smoking one cigarette on the performance of smokers; however, across conditions, the smokers' performance on both tests correlated negatively with severity of nicotine dependence but not lifetime cigarette consumption or cigarette craving. Smokers with high nicotine dependence performed more slowly on both tests than less dependent smokers or nonsmokers. The findings suggest that severity of nicotine dependence and slowness in perceptual-motor tasks of attention share an underlying basis.

Author information

Author/s: Azizian, Allen (A); Monterosso, John R (JR); Brody, Arthur L (AL); Simon, Sara L (SL); London, Edythe D (ED);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Neuroimaging, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.

Grants: M01 RR 00865 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS) ; R01 DA014093 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; R01 DA20872 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; T32 DA07272 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (Nicotine Tob Res), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Apr; vol 10 (issue 4) : pp 599-606

Dates: Created 2008/04/17; Completed 2008/08/05; Revised 2009/11/06;

PMID: 18418782, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/9/2009, IMS Date: )

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