Assessing the sensory role of nicotine in cigarette smoking.
Thirty-two subjects were tested in five double-blind sessions (16 subjects in the morning following overnight smoking abstention, and 16 in the afternoon following ad-lib smoking). In each session, subjects smoked one of five experimental (EX) cigarettes having the following FTC nicotine/"tar' yields in mg: 0.08/8.5, 0.17/9.1, 0.37/9.8, 0.48/9.8, and 0.74/10.4. In a sixth session, subjects smoked a 0.71/8.6 commercial "light' (CL) cigarette that was their usual brand. Before and after smoking, subjects subjectively rated their desire to smoke a cigarette of their usual brand and had blood samples drawn. Following smoking, subjects rated the cigarette on a variety of sensory dimensions; they also rated smoking satisfaction. Analysis of variance indicated that nicotine played an important sensory role for a variety of dimensions related to cigarette taste and sensory impact but not perceived draw. Principal-components analyses indicated that sensory factors were at least as important as nicotine pharmacology (indirectly indexed by the pre-to post-smoking rise in blood nicotine concentration) when considering smoking's overall effects on satisfaction, product acceptance, and reduction in desire to smoke.
Pritchard
W S
WS
Psychophysiology Laboratory, Bowman Gray Technical Center, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC 27102, USA.
Robinson
J H
JH
Guy
T D
TD
Davis
R A
RA
Stiles
M F
MF
D000328:Adult; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009055:Mouth; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009666:Nose; D010614:Pharynx; D012677:Sensation / Q000187:drug effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects
D009538:Nicotine