Serotonin transporter genotype and depressive symptoms moderate effects of nicotine on spatial working memory.

Abstract

Smokers may use nicotine to self-medicate for situation-specific or person-specific cognitive or affective deficits. Although evidence suggests that nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), relative to placebo, enhances spatial working memory (SWM) in smoking-abstinent smokers with schizophrenia, the extent to which NRT may be helpful in attenuating abstinence-related SWM in other groups with deficits in SWM is unknown. Depressive symptoms are associated with both tobacco smoking and deficits in SWM. Previous studies have found that smoking abstinence increases depressive affect and depression-related hemispheric asymmetries in brain activation. Although the serotonin neurotransmitter system is closely associated with depression and the effects of nicotine, the authors are not aware of any studies that have evaluated the possible role of individual differences in serotonin transporter (5-HTT) genotype and depressive symptoms as moderators of the effects of NRT on SWM. Thus, the current study assessed the effects of NRT (nicotine patch) on SWM in relation to: (1) depressive traits and (2) 5-HTT genotype. Smoking-deprived habitual smokers (N = 64) completed the dot recall test of SWM during counterbalanced and double-blind nicotine and placebo testing sessions. There was a marginal overall effect of NRT on SWM. More importantly, NRT enhanced SWM in 5-HTT short allele carriers, relative to those with two long alleles, and this enhancement in short-allele carriers was greater for individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms.

The Psychology of the Smoker

“…However, nicotine has been found to increase accuracy of perception/identification of briefly presented visual stimuli. Consistent with lateralized neural-network models of NVS traits and states, and the effects of nicotine on affective information processing [3], nicotine has been found to enhance the perception of briefly presented visual stimuli in a manner that is moderated by NVS traits, the visual field of the target stimulus and the affective valence of the stimulus [40,41].…”

The Psychology of the Smoker

“…However, nicotine has been found to increase accuracy of perception/identification of briefly presented visual stimuli. Consistent with lateralized neural-network models of NVS traits and states, and the effects of nicotine on affective information processing [3], nicotine has been found to enhance the perception of briefly presented visual stimuli in a manner that is moderated by NVS traits, the visual field of the target stimulus and the affective valence of the stimulus [40,41].…”

REVIEW: Cognitive effects of nicotine: genetic moderators

“…Furthermore, in smokers with greater depressive symptoms, these gene‐by‐nicotine interactions were stronger. These results suggest that 5‐HT may also play an important role in medicating the cognitive‐enhancing effects of nicotine (Carlson et al . 2009).…”

Genetic polymorphism of serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR: involvement in smoking behaviour

“…Studies from Gilbert et al (2009), Bloch et al (2010 and Carlson et al (2009) reported a significant association of the short allele in nicotine replacement therapy. Munafò et al (2006) predicted that possession of one or more copies of the short carriers (S allele) of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism would be associated with reduced likelihood of successful cessation.…”

The Psychology of the Smoker

“…However, nicotine has been found to increase accuracy of perception/identification of briefly presented visual stimuli. Consistent with lateralized neural-network models of NVS traits and states, and the effects of nicotine on affective information processing [3], nicotine has been found to enhance the perception of briefly presented visual stimuli in a manner that is moderated by NVS traits, the visual field of the target stimulus and the affective valence of the stimulus [40,41].…”

REVIEW: Cognitive effects of nicotine: genetic moderators

“…Furthermore, in smokers with greater depressive symptoms, these gene‐by‐nicotine interactions were stronger. These results suggest that 5‐HT may also play an important role in medicating the cognitive‐enhancing effects of nicotine (Carlson et al . 2009).…”

Genetic polymorphism of serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR: involvement in smoking behaviour

“…Studies from Gilbert et al (2009), Bloch et al (2010 and Carlson et al (2009) reported a significant association of the short allele in nicotine replacement therapy. Munafò et al (2006) predicted that possession of one or more copies of the short carriers (S allele) of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism would be associated with reduced likelihood of successful cessation.…”

The Psychology of the Smoker

“…However, nicotine has been found to increase accuracy of perception/identification of briefly presented visual stimuli. Consistent with lateralized neural-network models of NVS traits and states, and the effects of nicotine on affective information processing [3], nicotine has been found to enhance the perception of briefly presented visual stimuli in a manner that is moderated by NVS traits, the visual field of the target stimulus and the affective valence of the stimulus [40,41].…”

REVIEW: Cognitive effects of nicotine: genetic moderators

“…Furthermore, in smokers with greater depressive symptoms, these gene‐by‐nicotine interactions were stronger. These results suggest that 5‐HT may also play an important role in medicating the cognitive‐enhancing effects of nicotine (Carlson et al . 2009).…”

Genetic polymorphism of serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR: involvement in smoking behaviour

“…Studies from Gilbert et al (2009), Bloch et al (2010 and Carlson et al (2009) reported a significant association of the short allele in nicotine replacement therapy. Munafò et al (2006) predicted that possession of one or more copies of the short carriers (S allele) of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism would be associated with reduced likelihood of successful cessation.…”