title: The effect of enhancing cholinergic neurotransmission by nicotine on EEG indices of inhibition in the human brain.
abstract: The role of the cholinergic system in inhibition remains to be elucidated. Nicotine is a potent tool to augment this system, but most studies investigated its effects solely on behavior. Reference to brain activity is important to specifically identify inhibition-related mechanisms. In the current study the objective was to elucidate the role of the cholinergic system in inhibition. 16 healthy non-smokers performed in a stop task while EEG was recorded. A pre- versus post-treatment, within subjects, placebo controlled, single-blind design was used. It was hypothesized that nicotine would decrease stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) and increase the amplitude of inhibition-related event related potentials, the stop N2 and stop P3. Behavioral measures show nicotine shortened SSRT, but only when pretreatment values were not taken into account. On EEG measures, an enhanced stop P3 under nicotine was found, but only in a subsample sensitive to nicotine based on diastolic blood pressure. The results are indicative of enhanced inhibitory activity possibly reflecting enhanced activation in the superior frontal gyrus.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Research Institute, Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: H.N.A.Logemann@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H N A
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Logemann
authors.affiliation: Alan Turing Institute Almere, Louis Armstrongweg 84, 1311 RL Almere, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K B E
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Böcker
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P K H
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kemner
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Research Institute, Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kenemans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D059329:Cholinergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Acetylcholine; Inhibition; N2; Nicotine; P3; SSRT