Effects of abstinence and smoking on information processing in adolescent smokers

Rationale: Although adolescent smokers appear to display some of the hallma rk features of dependence, the biological and behavioral effects of smoking in this population are poorly understood. Objectives: This study aimed to define empirically the effects of abstinence and smoking in adolescent smok ers, using indices validated in adult smokers. Methods: Subjects were 16 yo ung novice smokers (five male, 11 female), ages 14-18 years. A modified Str oop task measured the ability to inhibit attention to smoking-related cues; the classic Stroop task measured the ability to inhibit a pre-potent respo nse (i.e. reading a word); a rapid information processing (RIP) task measur ed vigilance. Results: Abstinence increased and smoking decreased the intru siveness of smoking cues. Parallel effects were seen in commission errors o n the RIP task. These effects were restricted to heavier smokers (>11 cigar ettes/day). Subjective withdrawal effects predicted the intrusiveness of sm oking words during abstinence. The number of cigarettes smoked per day pred icted the beneficial effect of smoking on the classic as well as modified S troop tasks. The physiological effects of abstinence and smoking predicted RIP performance. Conclusions: Abstinence impairs and smoking improves inhib itory information processing in young novice smokers in a manner similar to adult smokers. Daily frequency of smoking is a critical moderator of these effects.