title: Preliminary findings on the interactive effects of IV ethanol and IV nicotine on human behavior and cognition: a laboratory study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are mixed reports on nicotine's effects on alcohol-induced impairment in cognitive performance and behavior in humans. The main objective of this study was to characterize the interactive effects of acute intravenous (IV) alcohol and nicotine administration on behavior and cognition in healthy nonsmokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy subjects aged 21-44 years participated in 3 test days. On each test day, they received in a double-blind randomized manner one of three IV alcohol infusion conditions using a "clamp": placebo, targeted breathalyzer of 40 mg%, or targeted breathalyzer of 80 mg%. Alcohol infusion was delivered over 20 min and lasted for 120 min. They also received both placebo and active nicotine in a fixed order delivered intravenously. Placebo nicotine was delivered first over 10 min at the timepoint when the breath alcohol was "clamped"; active nicotine (1.0 mcg/kg/min) was delivered for 10 min, 70 min after the alcohol infusion was clamped. Subjective effects of alcohol were measured using the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale and the Number of Drinks Scale. Cognitive inhibition and attention were measured by the Continuous Performance Task-Identical Pairs and working memory by the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task (RAVLT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nicotine significantly reversed subjective intoxication and sedation of alcohol at the low dose. Alcohol impaired performance on the RAVLT, and nicotine further impaired verbal learning and recall at both doses of alcohol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data showed that nicotine had an effect on subjective alcohol effects but did not reverse and actually worsened alcohol-induced deficits in memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. elizabeth.ralevski@yale.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ralevski
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: D Cyril
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bufis
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elander
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Limoncelli
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vendetti
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.forename: Ismene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petrakis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010919:Placebos
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D000431:Ethanol; D009538:Nicotine