ASSESSING THE TOPOGRAPHIC EEG CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND ACUTELONG-TERM EFFECTS OF SMOKING/

As neuroelectric research into the smoking/nicotine habit has focused exclusively on young and middle-aged adults, this electroencephalograp hic (EEG) study was conducted to determine whether a long-term smoking history alters the aging brain and/or whether the aging brain demonst rates an altered sensitivity to acute smoking/nicotine. Forty healthy adults, 20 young, aged 18-39 years, and 20 elderly, aged 64-81 years, volunteered for participation. Half of the young and elderly were nons mokers with no previous smoking history and the remaining half of the young and elderly were current smokers with average smoking histories of 9.3 and 52.0 years, respectively. Smokers attended the laboratory f or two randomized test sessions during which multisite EEG recordings were collected pre and post sham and cigarette smoking. Nonsmokers att ended the laboratory for one nonsmoking EEG recording session; Spectra l power indices showed aging to be associated with significant reducti ons in absolute delta and theta power and increases in relative beta p ower and faster mean total band frequency, Aging effects varied with r ecording region but not with smoker versus nonsmoker status. Smokers d id exhibit a faster mean beta frequency. Acute cigarette smoking decre ased absolute delta power in young smokers and increased relative alph a(2), beta power and mean alpha frequency in both young and elderly sm okers. Only the young smokers showed increase in mean theta and total frequency. The results are discussed in relation to cognition in norma l and pathological aging.