ABSTRACT
Nicotine is known to improve cognitive performance such as attention, concentration and working memory in humans and animals. Previous research suggests that nicotine enhances visuospatial attention. But it could be hypothesized that nicotine intake alleviate a withdrawal-induced deficit in smokers. To evaluate the cognitive performance in smokers and never-smokers, we investigate eye movement while 4-points saccade task is performed. 5 smokers and 6 never-smokers are matched for age and education. Eye movement was investigated by using TKK2920 (Takei Co.) which determines the direction of gaze over a two-dimensional visual field without attachments to the eye. We found that a tendency which Mean Gazing Time is prolonged in smokers. These data suggest that impairment of visual attention in smokers is not significant.
Subject(s)
Attention , Smoking , Tobacco Use Disorder/psychology , Visual Perception , Adult , Eye Movements , Humans , Smoking/adverse effects , Space PerceptionABSTRACT
The extent of cognitive dysfunction in the nicotine and/or alcohol dependent subjects has been evaluated with Digit Span, Number Connection Test and Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test. Samples were divided into 4 groups, 8 subjects with alcohol and nicotine dependence, 9 subjects with alcohol dependence, 10 subjects with nicotine dependence and 31 subjects without the dependences who met ICD-10 criteria for dependence syndrome. The performance times of Number Connection Test were prolonged in the alcohol dependence and the presence of the nicotine dependence did not influence the performance times of Number Connection Test. The performances on the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test were impaired by the alcohol dependence and the presence of the nicotine dependence did not influence the performances on the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test.