A single dose of nicotine enhances reward responsiveness in nonsmokers: implications for development of dependence.
BACKGROUND
Tobacco smoking, driven by the addictive properties of nicotine, is the most prevalent preventable cause of death in the Western world. Accumulated evidence suggests that nicotine may increase appetitive responding for nondrug incentives in the environment.


METHODS
To test this hypothesis, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of the effect of a single dose of transdermal nicotine on reward responsiveness in 30 psychiatrically healthy nonsmokers. A novel signal detection task in which correct responses were differentially rewarded in a 3:1 ratio was used to assess the extent to which participants modulated their behavior as a function of reward.


RESULTS
Despite expected adverse effects such as nausea, nicotine significantly increased response bias toward the more frequently rewarded condition, at the expense of accuracy, independent of effects on attention or overall vigilance. Additionally, response bias on placebo was greater in participants who received nicotine in the first session, indicating that an effect of nicotine on reward responsiveness or reward-based learning persisted for at least 1 week.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that a single dose of nicotine enhances response to non-drug-related rewards in the environment, with lasting effects. This effect may contribute to reinforcement of early smoking behavior and development of nicotine dependence.
Barr
Ruth S
RS
Schizophrenia Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Pizzagalli
Diego A
DA
Culhane
Melissa A
MA
Goff
Donald C
DC
Evins
A Eden
AE
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015982:Bias; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011930:Reaction Time; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012201:Reward; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine