title: The effects of tobacco smoking on the short, middle, and long latency responses of the blink reflex in humans.
abstract: The three responses (R1, R2, and R3) of the electrically elicited blink reflex (BR) obtained in four normal human subjects were investigated before and after smoking both a filtered and an unfiltered cigarette. The changes observed in the BR were stronger and statistically more significant for the unfiltered than for the filtered cigarette, (p < 0.0001) and were more dramatic in R3 than R1 or R2. The action of nicotine on central pathways located at the interneuronal network of the brainstem, basal ganglia, and C fiber structures involved with this reflex seems to be the most likely mechanism for these findings.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kagoshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Leon-S
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suwazono
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takenaga
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osame
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine