Abstract
Three tobacco cigarettes with known content of nicotine and one lettuce-leaf cigarette were smoked by 24 young habitual smokers, at different times of day and fixed rates of smoking. Changes in various psychophysiological parameters were automatically recorded during the 60 min which followed smoking. Heart rate and forearm blood flow increases were found to be dose dependent, the latter occurring only after smoking at the fast rate and their duration simultaneous to the presence of active nicotine in the organism. Skin vasoconstriction, as measured by decreases in temperature showed itself more reactive to environmental stimuli than to drug effects. Significant increases in skin conductance levels lasting throughout the experimental session occurred immediately after smoking, although not related to drug effects. Diphasic effects of nicotine were, however, obtained with the two largest doses, at different times of day. This finding is discussed in relation to possible “unspecific” nicotine effects upon a preexisting level of “activation”. Nicotine did not influence subjective time estimates. However, a specific pattern of responses occurred. This is discussed in terms of “disruption” of the timing task and a gradual re-organization towards pre-smoking estimates. The value of psychophysiological indices in relation to drugs of habitual use is questioned.
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This work was performed at the Department of Psychology. Institute of Psychiatry, London, and supported by the Tobacco Research Council, U.K.
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Agué, C. Cardiovascular variables, skin conductance and time estimation: Changes after the administration of small doses of nicotine. Psychopharmacologia 37, 109–125 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437418
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00437418