Attentional bias to smoking and other motivationally relevant cues is affected by nicotine exposure and dose expectancy

Abstract

We investigated the effects of acute nicotine dose and expected dose on attentional bias (AB) to smoking and affective cues in overnight nicotine-deprived smokers (n=51; 24 women) using a balanced placebo design, which counterbalanced given nicotine dose (Given-NIC vs. Given-DENIC) with instructed nicotine dose expectancy (Told-NIC vs. Told-DENIC). Before and after smoking a study cigarette, smokers completed a vigilance task where they pressed buttons to every third consecutive even or odd digit, while ignoring intermittent smoking, pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral picture distracters. We examined the early posterior negativity (EPN) and late positive potential (LPP) components of the event-related potentials (ERPs) to the distracters, reaction time (RT) to the target digits, and ratings of the study cigarettes. The EPN was sensitive to both given and instructed nicotine dose, while the instructed dose moderated the impact of given dose for the LPP. The RT metrics were sensitive to given but not to instructed dose. The effects of given dose on ratings following cigarette smoking (e.g., enjoyment) were moderated by the instructed dose. The ERP findings suggest that the anticipated effects of nicotine improve attention much like receiving actual nicotine.

Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer of Nicotine and Food Cues in Deprived Cigarette Smokers

“…Consistent with other studies, abstinence was verified via either a CO level of < 10 ppm, 31,32 or a 40% reduction from the baseline reading. 33…”

The Influence of Placebo Effect on Craving and Cognitive Performance in Alcohol, Caffeine, or Nicotine Consumers: A Systematic Review

“…The study of the effect of nicotine expectancies on cognitive performance has also shown mixed results. Harrell and Juliano (53) found that expecting nicotine had no effect on reaction time, number of responses or sensitivity but Robinson et al (60) described that nicotine expectancy can improve the attentional filtering of distracting stimuli. Juliano et al (52) informed that expecting a placebo cigarette caused a greater number of false alarms that expecting a nicotine one.…”

“…In caffeine studies abstinence was confirmed by a saliva sample (47,59). In nicotine studies abstinence was confirmed by carbon monoxide sample (49,52,53,55,57,60,62).…”

“…Participants in nicotine studies were asked to rate the strength of their cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing gum, or spray, except in the study of Schlagintweit et al (57). Participants had to answer if the spray contained nicotine or were asked to estimate the nicotine dose received (49,62) or to answer questions about nicotine sensations (52), to complete a scale of nicotine effect on cognitive performance (53,56) or to fill a questionnaire to evaluate the deception (49,51,60). Table 2 shows the main outcomes of the papers analyzed.…”

“…Nicotine instruction caused a slower reaction time at level 1 in Go/No-Go task but faster reaction time at levels 2 and 3 in nonsmoking men, however, the same information caused faster reaction time at level 2 but slower reaction time at levels 1 and 3 in smoking men. Robinson et al (60) found that after an acute nicotine deprivation, to receive nicotine or the expectancy of it decreased the distractibility of motivationally significant stimuli and promoted the recognition of motivationally significant stimuli on Rapid Visual Information Processing task with central Emotional Distracters (RVIP-CED).…”