AN ACUTE DOSE OF NICOTINE ENHANCES CUE-INDUCED COCAINE CRAVING

The present study examined whether the active component in tobacco, ni cotine, can modulate cocaine craving in patients with a history of smo king crack cocaine when exposed to crack cocaine related environmental cues. Twenty patients, all cigarette smokers, were randomly assigned to nicotine (two 22 mg transdermal patches) or placebo in a single-dos e, placebo-controlled, crossover, double-blind study. Craving and anxi ety were measured before and after cocaine cues with visual analog sca les for desire to use cocaine and mood. Skin conductance and skin temp erature were recorded before and during cocaine cues. Following exposu re to cocaine cues, all patients reported an increase in cocaine cravi ng and anxiety relative to the pre-cue measures. Cue exposure also pro duced an increase in skin conductance and decrease in skin temperature . The cue-induced increase in cocaine craving was strongly enhanced by nicotine, while the increase in anxiety was slightly augmented. Cue-i nduced skin conductance and temperature responses were unaffected by n icotine. These findings show that cue-induced cocaine craving is enhan ced by nicotine. This occurred in the absence of any tobacco smoking-r elated cues, suggesting that nicotine may have direct psychopharmacolo gical effects on conditioned cocaine craving. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e Ireland Ltd.