Acute nicotine increases both impulsive choice and behavioural disinhibition in rats

Abstract

Present findings support the hypothesis that heightened impulsivity in smokers may in part be a consequence of the direct acute effects of nicotine. As such, drug-induced changes in impulsivity may play a critical role in the transition to and maintenance of nicotine dependence.

Effects of chronic nicotine, nicotine withdrawal and subsequent nicotine challenges on behavioural inhibition in rats

“…However, it is unlikely that this short-lived improvement in performance accuracy was secondary to an increase in appetite. Firstly, because accuracy of performance in this task has been previously shown to be unaltered by increases in primary motivation (Kolokotroni et al 2011), and secondly, the current data indicate that nicotine-treated animals were slower to collect their food rewards than saline controls. The manifestation of anhedonia during withdrawal in the present study may have reduced the perceived value of the food reward which could, in turn, have decreased motivation to seek the reward.…”

“…In particular, the anorectic effects of nicotine cannot account for the findings as an increase in latency to collect reward was not observed. Furthermore, reductions in primary motivation through pre-feeding have been shown to have no effect on task performance accuracy (Kolokotroni et al 2011) and to even decrease premature responding (e.g. Bizarro and Stolerman 2003).…”

“…The view that heightened impulsivity may be a consequence of drug use is supported by a wealth of studies showing reductions in inhibitory control in Go/No-go, stop and five-choice serial reaction time tasks (5CSRTT) following acute treatment with cocaine, D-amphetamine, morphine, alcohol and nicotine (e.g. Blondel et al 2000;Fillmore and Vogel-Sprott 1999;Fillmore et al 2002;Kolokotroni et al 2011;Pattij et al 2009;Van Gaalen et al 2006). These findings however appear to be dependent on a number of variables, including dose level, behavioural task and baseline impulsivity.…”

“…Comparably, the same compounds administered acutely have also been shown to increase impulsive choice (e.g. Cardinal et al 2000;Evenden and Ryan 1996;Kolokotroni et al 2011;Reynolds and Schiffbauer 2004; see Perry and Carroll 2008 for review).…”

The 5-HT2C Receptor Agonist Lorcaserin Reduces Nicotine Self-Administration, Discrimination, and Reinstatement: Relationship to Feeding Behavior and Impulse Control

“…Nevertheless, a deficit of inhibitory control can promote a vulnerability to continued drug usage and likelihood to relapse (Pattij and Vanderschuren, 2008;Winstanley et al, 2010). Like many abused substances, nicotine will promote indices of impulsive action and choice in rodents (Popke et al, 2000;Kolokotroni et al, 2011). For example, nicotine increases anticipatory (premature) responding in the 5-CSRTT (Stolerman et al, 2000;, a measure of impulsive action, and conversely drug-naïve rats identified as 'impulsive' based on high premature response rates, subsequently showed enhanced motivation to selfadminister nicotine compared with their 'less impulsive' counterparts (Diergaarde et al, 2008).…”