ACUTE CHRONIC EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON MEMORY SCANNING - BEHAVIORAL PERFORMANCE AND EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS IN YOUNG AND ELDERLY ADULTS/

Cigarette smoking has been shown to be a variable risk factor for a nu mber of neurological disorders in that it potentiates the risk for str oke and vascular dementia but reduces the risk for dementia of the Alz heimer type. This investigation utilized scalp-recorded midline (Fz, C z, Pz) event-related (P300) potential (ERP) and behavioral performance indices within a memory scanning paradigm (under single and dual task conditions) to profile: (a) young and elderly adults with smoking and nonsmoking histories and (b) acute smoking (one cigarette) effects in young and elderly adult smokers. Neither performance nor P300 indices were affected by smoking history but acute smoking shortened reaction times and increased P300 amplitudes elicited by higher memory-set ite m probes during dual task conditions.