Caffeine, but not nicotine, enhances visual feature binding.
The distributed organization of the human visual cortex calls for a mechanism that integrates and binds the features of a perceived event, and neural synchronization is a prime candidate to serve that purpose. Animal studies suggest that synchronization in the visual cortex is enhanced by the muscarinic cholinergic system. Here we show that in healthy humans the binding of shape and colour, and of shape and location, of visual objects is increased by stimulating the muscarinic cholinergic system (caffeine consumption) but not by stimulating the nicotinic cholinergic system (nicotine consumption). Binding across perception and action is unaffected by either manipulation, suggesting a specific link between the visual system and the muscarinic cholinergic system.
Colzato
Lorenza S
LS
Leiden University, Department of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Postbus 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, the Netherlands.
Fagioli
Sabrina
S
Erasmus
Vicki
V
Hommel
Bernhard
B
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D002110:Caffeine; D009538:Nicotine