title: [A review of the effects of nicotine on schizophrenia].
abstract: It is increasingly appreciated that amongst psychiatric cigarette smokers, those with schizophrenia have elevated rates of smoking compared to the general population. Nicotine seems to improve cognitive functions critically affected in schizophrenia. There is substantial evidence that nicotine could be used by patients with schizophrenia as a "self-medication" to improve deficits in attention, cognition, and information processing. Perhaps nicotine has influence on intensity of side effects of antipsychotic medication. Nicotine treatment modulates both dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, and these effects are specific both to brain region and functional system. Understanding how and why schizophrenic individuals use nicotine may lead to the development of new treatments for both schizophrenia and nicotine dependence.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Psychiatrii Rozwojowej, Zaburzeń Psychotycznych i Wieku Podeszłego AM wx Gdańsk.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bidzan
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012907:Smoking; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine