Gender and activation level in smokers.
Studies on the enhancing effects of nicotine on performance are usually pharmacological challenges using deprived male smokers. However, gender may be a factor that influences nicotine/smoking effects upon information processing. We investigated gender differences in contingent negative variation (CNV) amplitude in non-deprived dependent smokers performing a go-no go reaction time paradigm. Female smokers did not differ from female non-smokers in both early and late CNV, whereas male smokers presented greater early and late CNV compared to male non-smokers and an alteration in inhibiting processes responsible for CNV development in the no go condition. Consistent with the evidence of gender differences in nicotine/smoking sensitivity, these preliminary results emphasize the need for taking into account gender in psychophysiological research of nicotine/smoking effects.
Daurignac
E
E
CNRS UMR 7593, Pavillon Clérambault, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, 47, Bd. de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
Perez-Diaz
F
F
Grillon
C
C
Jouvent
R
R
D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*