Effects of smoking history on cortical activation patterns during target detection

Aims: Little is known about the neuropharmacology and sites of action of nicotine in the human brain. Extending our knowledge in this field might help in the development of new behavioural and pharmacological therapies to aid in treating nicotine dependence and to improve smoking cessation success rates. In this study, we addressed the question if a positive nicotine history may be related to altered cognitive functions. Methods: We investigated the cortical activation during a choice reaction paradigm (P300, auditory oddball) was investigated in a sample of 247 healthy subjects consisting of smokers, ex-smokers and never-smokers. Group differences of the cortical activation were investigated using Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA). Results: Both current smokers and ex-smokers exhibited significantly diminished parietal (Pz) P300 amplitudes as compared to never-smokers (p