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Original Article |
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Neuropsychopharmacology (2002) 27 1056-1070.10.1038/S0893-133X(02)00372-X
Nicotine and Behavioral Markers of Risk for Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Study
Lana Dépatie1,2,3 MSc, Gillian A O'Driscoll*,1,2,3 Ph.D, Anne-Lise V Holahan2 BSc, Victoria Atkinson3 RN, Joseph X Thavundayil3 MD, N Ng Ying Kin3 Ph.D and Samarthji Lal1,3 MD |
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1Department of Psychiatry, Quebec, Canada
2Department of Psychology, Quebec, Canada
3McGill University, Montreal, and Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Correspondence: Dr Gillian A O'Driscoll, *Department of Psychology, McGill University, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1B1. Tel.: (514) 398-4916; Fax: (514) 398-4896gillian@hebb.psych.mcgill.ca
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ABSTRACT
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We investigated the effect of nicotine on three behavioral markers of risk for schizophrenia: sustained attention (using the Continuous Performance Task (CPT)), antisaccade performance, and smooth pursuit. Smooth pursuit was investigated in two conditions, one in which attention was enhanced (monitoring target changes) and one in which attention was not enhanced (no monitoring). Patients with schizophrenia (n = 15) and controls (n = 14) were given a 14-mg nicotine patch in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design and plasma nicotine concentrations were monitored. Nicotine concentrations were similar in both groups. A Group ´ Drug interaction (p < .02) on CPT hits indicated that nicotine improved sustained attention in patients but not in controls. Nicotine significantly decreased antisaccade errors (p < .01) in both groups. A Drug ´ Monitoring condition interaction (p < .01) on pursuit gain indicated that nicotine significantly increased pursuit gain in the no-monitoring condition in patients and controls equally, but did not improve pursuit in the monitoring condition. Thus, improvement in pursuit may have been mediated via an effect on attention rather than by an effect on oculomotor function per se. In patients, the magnitude of improvement in attention on nicotine was correlated with the improvement on eye movement tasks. Thus, nicotine improves performance on both attention and oculomotor markers of risk for schizophrenia, possibly via common mechanisms.
Keywords: Nicotine; Schizophrenia; Sustained attention; Eye movements; Smooth pursuit; Antisaccade |
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