Potential sex differences in the pattern of sensory reinforcers enhanced by nicotine.

Abstract

Along with its primary and secondary reinforcing effects, nicotine acutely enhances reinforcement from rewards not directly related to nicotine, particularly those consisting of “sensory” stimuli. Less certain is the magnitude of these effects across types of sensory reinforcers commonly available in the natural environment, especially under different smoking exposure conditions of clinical relevance. This study compared reinforced responding for immediate auditory (music) or visual (video) sensory rewards, or no reward (nonspecific control), due to nicotine via ad lib smoking versus no nicotine (overnight abstinence), in a within-subjects design. Dependent smokers (N=48; 21 M, 27 F) responded on an operant computer task for small units of the designated rewards during two sessions, following overnight abstinence (>12 hr; CO≤10 ppm) or no abstinence (i.e. ad lib smoking). Preferred music and video rewards were each selected by participants to ensure their equal initial reinforcing efficacy. Responding reinforced by music and by video rewards, but not by no reward, was similarly enhanced by ad lib smoking in the entire sample. Yet, in post hoc follow-ups, the smoking-induced increase in responding for music was greater in women vs. men, while the increase in responding for video was greater in men vs. women. Results confirm the comparability of the reinforcement enhancing effects of nicotine via smoking on both auditory and visual rewards, consistent with the notion that enhanced sensory reinforcement may contribute to persistence of smoking behavior. However, findings also suggest the specific pattern of sensory reinforcers enhanced by nicotine may differ between men and women.

Reinforcement Enhancing Effects of Nicotine Via Patch and Nasal Spray

“…Moreover, other research shows that recent abstinence from nicotine reduces, and subsequent resumption of smoked nicotine use (as well as bupropion) reinstates, reinforced responding for nondrug rewards in a manner that is not related to withdrawal or its relief, respectively (which might suggest negative reinforcing effects). 10,11 Such findings confirm rapid loss of those positively reinforcing nicotine effects early upon making a quit attempt, as would be expected and comparable to preclinical findings of removing nicotine administration in nondependent animals. 12 Consequently, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, FDA-approved to help smokers quit, 13 may also have reinforcement enhancing effects.…”

“…Details for obtaining and verifying the content for each reward, and confirming their comparable reinforcing efficacy, are described elsewhere. 2,8,11 In brief, the specific music and video rewards were identified individually during the introductory session to ensure that they would be similarly efficacious for participants in subsequent study sessions. Participants provided their own preferred music and identified preferred video from clips available online (usually comedy routines).…”

Nicotine Acutely Enhances Reinforcement from Non-Drug Rewards in Humans

“…During each session, they responded on the same task used in the above studies in three separate trials reinforced by the music or video sensory rewards, or for the no reward control. Relative to the ad lib smoking session, overnight abstinence significantly reduced reinforced responding for both sensory rewards but not for the no reward control condition ( 55 ), verifying sharp loss of these nicotine effects early in a quit attempt, similar to preclinical findings ( 54 ). As with our controlled studies of acute smoking after overnight abstinence, above, differences between sessions in withdrawal, which were substantial as expected, were not related to the differences between sessions in reinforced responding.…”

“…To begin to understand the loss of nicotine’s reinforcement-enhancing effects that smokers may experience when initially attempting to quit smoking, we recently assessed responding reinforced by these sensory rewards during typical ad lib smoking compared to abstinence, in a two-session within-subjects design ( 55 ). Prior to the two sessions, 48 dependent smokers (non-treatment seeking) either abstained overnight (CO < 10 ppm) or smoked their own preferred brand in completely ad lib fashion (i.e., to capture typical nicotine satiation while smoking).…”

Double jeopardy: Comorbid obesity and cigarette smoking are linked to neurobiological alterations in inhibitory control during smoking cue exposure

“…This would be important to examine in future studies to explore the hypothesis that those with higher BMI will have more difficulty quitting smoking. Finally, sex affects responses to smoking reward, which we were unable to examine with the limited sample size of the current study. An interaction between BMI status and sex is conceivable and should be considered as a future area of study.…”