TRANSDERMAL NICOTINE EFFECTS ON ATTENTION

Nicotine has been shown to improve attentiveness in smokers and attenu ate attentional deficits in Alzheimer's disease patients, schizophreni cs and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Th e current study was conducted to determine whether nicotine administer ed via transdermal patches would improve attentiveness in non-smoking adults without attentional deficits. The subjects underwent the nicoti ne and placebo exposure in a counterbalanced double-blind manner. Meas ures of treatment effect included the Profile of Mood States (POMS), C onners' computerized Continuous Performance Test (CPT) of attentivenes s and a computerized interval-timing task. The subjects were administe red a 7 mg/day nicotine transdermal patch for 4.5 h during a morning s ession. Nicotine significantly increased self-perceived vigor as measu red by the POMS test. On the CPT, nicotine significantly decreased the number of errors of omission without causing increases in either erro rs of commission or correct hit reaction time. Nicotine also significa ntly decreased the variance of hit reaction time and the composite mea sure of attentiveness. This study shows that, in addition to reducing attentional impairment, nicotine administered via transdermal patches can improve attentiveness in normal adult nonsmokers.