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Double dissociation of working memory and attentional processes in smokers and non-smokers with and without nicotine

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Abstract

Nicotine has been shown to affect cortical excitability measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation in smoking and non-smoking subjects in different ways. In tobacco-deprived smokers, administration of nicotine restores compromised cortical facilitation while in non-smokers, it enhances cortical inhibition. As cortical excitability and activity are closely linked to cognitive processes, we aimed to explore whether nicotine-induced physiological alterations in non-smokers and smokers are associated with cognitive changes. Specifically, we assessed the impact of nicotine on working memory performance (n-back letter task) and on attentional processes (Stroop interference test) in healthy smokers and non-smokers. Both tasks have been shown to rely on prefrontal areas, and nicotinic receptors are relevantly involved in prefrontal function. Sixteen smoking and 16 non-smoking subjects participated in the 3-back letter task and 21 smoking and 21 non-smoking subjects in the Stroop test after the respective application of placebo or nicotine patches. The results show that working memory and attentional processes are compromised in nicotine-deprived smokers compared to non-smoking individuals. After administration of nicotine, working memory performance in smokers improved, while non-smoking subjects displayed decreased accuracy with increased number of errors. The effects have been shown to be more apparent for working memory performance than attentional processes. In summary, cognitive functions can be restored by nicotine in deprived smokers, whereas non-smokers do not gain additional benefit. The respective changes are in accordance with related effects of nicotine on cortical excitability in both groups.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG grant NI 683/4-1) ‘Towards risk prediction of nicotine dependency by exploring individual limits of cortical neuroplasticity in humans’ and ‘Impact of the nicotinergic alpha7 receptor on cortical plasticity in smokers and non-smokers’ (NI683/4-2) within the DFG priority program ‘Nicotine: Molecular and Physiological Effects in Central Nervous System’.

Conflict of interest

JG, RA, GA, and GB received no financial support, and no compensation has been received from any individual or corporate entity over the past 3 years for research or professional service, and there are no personal financial holdings that could be perceived as constituting a potential conflict of interest. WP is member of the Advisory Boards of GSK, UCB, Desitin. MAN is member of the Advisory Boards of UCB, Eisai, GSK, and Neuroelectronics.

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  1. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Georg-August-University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, Göttingen, D-37075, Germany

    Jessica Grundey, Rosa Amu, Géza Gergely Ambrus, Georgi Batsikadze, Walter Paulus & Michael A. Nitsche

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  1. Jessica Grundey
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  2. Rosa Amu
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  3. Géza Gergely Ambrus
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Correspondence to Jessica Grundey.

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Grundey, J., Amu, R., Ambrus, G.G. et al. Double dissociation of working memory and attentional processes in smokers and non-smokers with and without nicotine. Psychopharmacology 232, 2491–2501 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-3880-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-3880-7

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