Cigarette cues capture smokers' attention: evidence from event-related potentials.
Abstract Before starting a smoking cessation treatment, 51 smokers took part in a study aimed at investigating brain mechanisms associated with attention allocation. Event-related potentials to acoustic startle probes were recorded from 129 sensors during the presentation of neutral, pleasant, unpleasant, and cigarette-related pictures. Results indicated that the amplitude of the startle probe P3 component was reduced for pleasant, unpleasant, and cigarette-related conditions relative to neutral. Surface Laplacian estimates showed that sources of electrocortical activity under frontal and parietal sensors contributed to the modulation of this effect. For smokers, cigarette-related stimuli, like intrinsically motivating ones, capture attentional resources and therefore reduce the ability to process competing stimuli. The depletion of attentional resources in the presence of cigarette-related cues may contribute to the high relapse rate observed during attempts to quit smoking.
Versace
Francesco
F
Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. fversace@mdanderson.org
Robinson
Jason D
JD
Lam
Cho Y
CY
Minnix
Jennifer A
JA
Brown
Victoria L
VL
Carter
Brian L
BL
Wetter
David W
DW
Cinciripini
Paul M
PM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult