Nicotine and sensory memory in Alzheimer's disease: an event-related potential study.
The auditory mismatch negativity (MMN) event-related brain potential (ERP) reflects the storage of information in acoustic sensory memory. Thirteen patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD), 6 receiving treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine, THA) and 7 receiving no treatment, were administered 2 mg of nicotine polacrilex and placebo. MMNs were recorded with 1- and 3-s interstimulus intervals pre- and postplacebo/nicotine administration. In nontreated patients, amplitudes were decreased from pre- to postplacebo recordings but remained stable in THA-treated patients. Comparison of pre- and postnicotine MMNs found amplitude increases with nicotine in nontreated but not THA-treated patients. MMN latencies were shortened by nicotine in both treatment groups. These exploratory findings suggest that nicotine-improved strength of acoustic sensory memory traces and speed of acoustic sensory discrimination in AD are differentially affected by chronic ChEI treatment.
Engeland
C
C
Mahoney
C
C
Mohr
E
E
Ilivitsky
V
V
Knott
V
V
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013619:Tacrine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D011145:Polyvinyls; D013619:Tacrine; D009538:Nicotine