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Nicotine effects on default mode network during resting state

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Abstract

Rationale

The default mode network (DMN), one of several resting-state networks (RSN) in the brain, is thought to be involved in self-referential thought, awareness, and episodic memories. Nicotine improves cognitive performance, in part by improving attention. Nicotinic agonists have been shown to decrease activity in regions within DMN and increase activity in regions involved in visual attention during effortful processing of external stimuli. It is unknown if these pharmacological effects also occur in the absence of effortful processing.

Objectives

This study aims to determine if nicotine suppresses activity in default mode and enhances activity in extra-striate RSNs in the absence of an external visual task.

Methods

Within-subject, single-blinded, counterbalanced study of 19 non-smoking subjects who had resting functional MRI scans after 7 mg nicotine or placebo patch. Group independent component analysis was performed. The DMN component was identified by spatial correlation with a reference DMN mask. A visual attention component was identified by spatial correlation with an extra-striate mask. Analyses were conducted using statistical parametric mapping.

Results

Nicotine was associated with decreased activity in regions within the DMN and increased activity in extra-striate regions.

Conclusions

Suppression of DMN and enhancement of extra-striate resting-state activity in the absence of visual stimuli or effortful processing suggest that nicotine's cognitive effects may involve a shift in activity from networks that process internal to those that process external information. This is a potential mechanism by which cholinergic agonists may have a beneficial effect in diseases associated with altered resting-state activity.

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Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible by NIH Grant Numbers R21DA024104, R01DA027748 and the VA Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Science Research and Development Service. We thank Dr. Robert Freedman for his helpful discussion.

Conflicts of interest

Dr. Laura Martin has received compensation from Pfizer as a sub-investigator for a trial using Chantix. The remaining authors have no financial disclosures or other conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA

    Jody Tanabe, Eric Nyberg & Dietmar Cordes

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Denver, CO, USA

    Jody Tanabe, Laura F. Martin, Jesse Martin, Eugene Kronberg & Jason R. Tregellas

  3. Research Service, Denver VA Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA

    Laura F. Martin & Jason R. Tregellas

  4. 12700 E. 19th Ave, Mailstop C278, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA

    Jody Tanabe

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  1. Jody Tanabe
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  2. Eric Nyberg
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  3. Laura F. Martin
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  4. Jesse Martin
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Correspondence to Jody Tanabe.

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Tanabe, J., Nyberg, E., Martin, L.F. et al. Nicotine effects on default mode network during resting state. Psychopharmacology 216, 287–295 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2221-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-011-2221-8

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