title: Visual-spatial attention in alcoholics and illicit stimulant abusers: effects of nicotine replacement.
abstract: Reports of alcohol or illicit drug-related cognitive impairments have frequently disregarded the potentially confounding effects of smoking status and nicotine withdrawal on these measures. This study addressed this issue by measuring visual-spatial attention via an adaptation of the Posner paradigm in three groups of tobacco smokers: controls without a history of alcoholism or illicit drug use (n=27; 20 male), chronic alcoholics (n=22; 18 male), and illicit stimulant abusers (n=36; 21 male). Throughout testing, nicotine levels were stabilized by the double-blind administration of a high (14 or 21 mg) or low (7 mg) dose transdermal nicotine patch. A significant effect of group was observed for number of correct responses to restriction trials (F=5.48, 2/79 df; p=.006). Performance was normalized in the illicit stimulant group, and alcoholic participants exhibited superior performance relative to both illicit stimulant abusers (p=.002) and controls (p=.01). These findings support the hypothesis that nicotine may have a compensatory or normalizing effect on attentional functions in substance abusers. Whether these results reflect the central nervous system-activating effects of nicotine or merely alleviation of nicotine withdrawal is a topic of ongoing research.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, MC-2103, Farmington, CT 06030-2103, USA. ceballos@psychiatry.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Natalie A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Ceballos
authors.forename: Rick
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tivis
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lawton-Craddock
authors.forename: Sara Jo
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Nixon
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide