Thesis
Effect of acute nicotine deprivation on measures of reward sensitivity and inhibitory control among smokers
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
2010
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102951
Abstract
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of acute nicotine deprivation on behavioral measures of reward sensitivity and inhibitory control among smokers not seeking to quit. The consequences of smoking are well-known, as are the difficulties individuals experience in trying to quit. Unfortunately, among those who try to stop smoking, relapse seems to be the rule rather than the exception. Trait impulsivity is associated with higher rates of relapse, but the mechanisms underlying this association are unclear. We hypothesized that nicotine deprivation would induce increases in reward sensitivity and behavioral loss of inhibitory control. To test these hypotheses, we compared nicotine deprived versus non-deprived groups' performance on a task measuring reward sensitivity, the Delay Discounting task, and two behavioral tests of inhibitory control, the Go/No-Go (GNG) task and the Risky Decision Making (RDM) task. To test whether those in the nicotine deprived group decreased smoking, carbon monoxide (CO) readings were obtained at each session. Both groups performed similarly on the behavioral tasks at baseline, and the nicotine deprived group demonstrated significant decreases in carbon monoxide between sessions. Our findings on the Delay Discounting task at the follow-up session did not support the hypothesis that acute nicotine-deprivation would result in increases in reward sensitivity. Initially, it seemed that there was support of the hypothesis that acute nicotine-deprivation would induce a loss of inhibition. On the Go/No-go task, increased false alarms followed reversal in both groups at baseline but only in the nicotinedeprived group at follow-up. These data suggest that those who continued to smoke between sessions benefited from a practice effect, while those who were deprived of nicotine did not. These results are discussed in relation to previous literature on learning and memory impairments associated with nicotine deprivation.
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Details
- Title
- Effect of acute nicotine deprivation on measures of reward sensitivity and inhibitory control among smokers
- Creators
- Sharon Marie Sowell
- Contributors
- Paul Whitney (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525011601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis