Nicotine effects on retrieval-induced forgetting are not attributable to changes in arousal.
BACKGROUND
There is emerging evidence from behavioural studies in humans for nicotinic modulation of inhibitory control. Administration of nicotine, however, also increases general arousal, and this may be responsible for the cognitive enhancing effects of nicotine.


CONCLUSIONS
To test an arousal explanation of nicotine's effects on cognitive inhibition, this study compared the separate and combined effects of an acute dose of nicotine and an arousal manipulation on inhibitory processes associated with the retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) paradigm.


RESULTS
In a double blind placebo controlled design, 1.0 mg of nicotine delivered via nasal spray to non-smoking healthy young adults significantly increased the retrieval-induced forgetting observed in episodic list learning, relative to the placebo condition. In contrast, negative arousal evoked by an unsolvable anagram task had no effect either separately or in combination with nicotine.


CONCLUSIONS
This result argues against the attribution of nicotine-induced changes in RIF performance to non-specific arousal effects. It suggests, furthermore, that pharmacological manipulation of the RIF produces effects that are qualitatively distinct from mood-induced effects. We consider these changes to relate to the direct modulation of information processing by nicotine.
Rusted
J M
JM
Department of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. j.rusted@sussex.ac.uk
Alvares
T
T
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000187:drug effects
D005731:Ganglionic Stimulants; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine