title: Enhancement of auditory sensory gating and stimulus-bound gamma band (40 Hz) oscillations in heavy tobacco smokers.
abstract: The effects of smoking tobacco on sensory gating, P50 and stimulus-bound gamma band oscillations (GBO; 32-48 Hz) in auditory evoked potentials were examined in a paired-tone paradigm (50 tone pip pairs; 70 dB, 1000 Hz). Thirteen cigarette (20+/day) smokers were tested after abstaining overnight and after smoking; 13 age-matched never-smokers were tested twice. Smokers exhibited chronic (rather than acute) effects in the frontal region: (1) larger P50 and GBO responses; (2) greater P50 and GBO sensory gating suppression. GBO analyses showed earlier sensory gating in smokers. These chronic effects of greater cortical activation and sensory gating may reflect persistent dopaminergic activation due to the inhibition of monoamine oxidase observed in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA. hjc@vt.edu
authors.forename: Helen J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McClain-Furmanski
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Castagnoli
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Castagnoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine