Tobacco effects on cortical evoked potentials to task stimuli.

Cortical evoked potentials (EP) were investigated in a group of female smokers in separate smoking and non-smoking sessions. In a constant-fore-period S1-S2 reaction time paradigm, EPs were averaged separately to auditory warning (S1) stimuli and visual imperative (S2) stimuli under 4 conditions: (a) a single-choice S1-S2 sequence with no auditory distraction task; (b) a single-choice S1-S2 sequence with concomitant auditory distraction task; (c) a four-choice S1-S2 sequence with no auditory distraction task; (d) a four-choice S1-S2 sequence with concomitant auditory distraction task. Two individual EP peaks, N1 and P2 and one peak-to-peak measure, N1-P2, were involved in amplitude analysis of S1 and S2 stimuli. Tobacco significantly improved the decision time (DT) component of reaction time and increased N1 amplitudes to S1 stimuli. Tobacco also interacted with task complexity to reduce P2 amplitudes to S1. No significant tobacco effects were observed with EPs to S2. The results are discussed in relation to improved attention and information processing.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes