The acute and repeated effects of cigarette smoking and smoking-related cues on impulsivity

Abstract

Introduction and aims: Impulsivity may be a risk factor that increases vulnerability to nicotine dependence. However, nicotine exposure itself may directly increase impulsivity. This is a secondary analysis of the first study in a controlled laboratory setting, which assessed the effects of nicotine administration (acute and repeated) and exposure to smoking cues on behavioural impulsivity in humans (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01395797).

Design and methods: Twenty-seven smokers completed three tasks to assess behavioural impulsivity (the Immediate Memory Task and the Delayed Memory Task assessing response initiation, and the GoStop Task assessing response inhibition) following: (i) 4 days of cigarette smoking (nicotinised or denicotinised cigarette); (ii) acute cigarette smoking (nicotinised); and (iii) exposure to smoking-related cues.

Results: Four days of nicotinised cigarette smoking (vs. denicotinised) did not significantly increase Immediate Memory Task, Delayed Memory Task and GoStop scores. However, acute cigarette smoking increased GoStop impulsivity, but only following 4 days of smoking nicotinised cigarettes (P < 0.05). Exposure to smoking-related cues had no statistically significant effect on impulsivity.

Discussion and conclusions: Our results suggest that repeated nicotine exposure may sensitise subsequent acute nicotine effects on behavioural impulsivity in heavy smokers.

Keywords: cue reactivity; impulsivity; nicotine; randomised controlled trial; smoking.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

Within the past 3 years, JDJ received compensation (in the form of partial salary support) from a study partially supported by Cerecor Inc. and served as a paid consultant to Alkermes. AB served as an unpaid consultant to Alkermes and received an honorarium from Indivior for an unbranded educational activity. SDC has received compensation (in the form of partial salary support) from studies supported by Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, Cerecor Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Indivior PLC/Reckitt-Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, MediciNova, Omeros and Schering-Plough Corporation. In addition, she received compensation from Grunenthal GmbH to conduct a meta-analysis of drug-induced subjective responses and she served as a consultant to the following companies: Analgesic Solutions, AstraZeneca, BioDelivery Sciences International, Cephalon, Clinilabs, Daiichi Sankyo, Egalet, Inflexxion, Innovative Science Solutions, Janssen, KemPharm, King, Lightlake, Neuromed, Pfizer and Salix. The other authors report no conflicts of interest.

© 2020 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Figures

Figure 1.

GoStop Task performance at baseline, following acute cigarette smoking, and following smoking cue-exposure (Friday session); **P < 0.05.