title: Neuronal effects of nicotine during auditory selective attention in schizophrenia.
abstract: Although nicotine has been shown to improve attention deficits in schizophrenia, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. We hypothesized that nicotine would modulate attention-associated neuronal response in schizophrenia patients in the ventral parietal cortex (VPC), hippocampus, and anterior cingulate based on previous findings in control subjects. To test this hypothesis, the present study examined response in these regions in a cohort of nonsmoking patients and healthy control subjects using an auditory selective attention task with environmental noise distractors during placebo and nicotine administration. In agreement with our hypothesis, significant diagnosis (Control vs. Patient) X drug (Placebo vs. Nicotine) interactions were observed in the VPC and hippocampus. The interaction was driven by task-associated hyperactivity in patients (relative to healthy controls) during placebo administration, and decreased hyperactivity in patients after nicotine administration (relative to placebo). No significant interaction was observed in the anterior cingulate. Task-associated hyperactivity of the VPC predicted poor task performance in patients during placebo. Poor task performance also predicted symptoms in patients as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. These results are the first to suggest that nicotine may modulate brain activity in a selective attention-dependent manner in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smucny
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.|Research Service, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olincy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Donald C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado.|Research Service, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Jason R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Tregellas
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: attention; fMRI; hippocampus; nicotine; schizophrenia; ventral parietal cortex