SMOKING, PROCESSING SPEED AND ATTENTION IN A CHOICE-REACTION TIME TASK

Nineteen subjects performed a choice reaction time task in which two l evels of choice (two and four stimuli), and two levels of spatial atte ntion (narrow and wide) were manipulated under each of two smoking con ditions: sham smoking (denicotinised cigarette) or regular smoking (0. 8 mg nicotine cigarette). All three factors significantly affected rea ction time, with the smallest reaction times being recorded to the two -choice narrow grouped stimuli recorded under the high nicotine condit ion. Nicotine appears to speed decision time for both complex and hard -to-attend tasks, which is compatible with a role for nicotinic recept ors in systems jointly mediating attention, memory and processing spee d.