Abstract
The effects of cigarette smoking on the balance of activity of the cerebral hemispheres were studied in two experiments. Experiment 1 examined the effects of smoking on lateralisation of EEG alpha and beta power in six male smokers, and revealed a dose-related biphasic action. Low doses of nicotine as measured by residual butt analysis increased left hemisphere activity in a dose related manner, while higher doses (>1.1 mg) reversed this effect. Experiment 2 examined the time course of the changes in EEG alpha, beta, theta and delta lateralisation in 11 male smokers. During the initial period of smoking there was a reduction in EEG alpha, reflecting cortical activation, followed by an increase in alpha power towards the end of the cigarette. These changes were accompanied in smokers taking moderate nicotine doses, by an initial shift towards left hemisphere activation, followed by a reduction in left hemisphere activation relative to the right. Initial changes in delta and theta power were negatively correlated with nicotine dose. Higher nicotine doses were associated with greater shifts towards right hemisphere activation, as indicated by beta and delta lateralisation, and also with greater decreases in subjective arousal. These results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that the stimulant action of lower doses of nicotine involves the activation of a left hemisphere “Go” system, while the sedative effect of higher doses involves increased activation of the right hemisphere “NoGo” system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boyd GM, Maltzman I (1984) Effects of cigarette smoking on bilateral skin conductance. Psychophysiology 21:334–341
Carter WR, Johnson MC, Borkovek TD (1986) Worry: an electrocortical analysis. Adv Behav Res Ther 8:193–204
Church RE (1989) Smoking and the human EEG. In: Ney T, Gale A (eds) Smoking and human behavior. Wiley, Chichester, pp 115–140
Elbert T, Birbaumer N (1987) Hemispheric differences in relation to smoking. In: Glass A (ed) Individual differences in hemispheric specialisation. Plenum Press, New York, pp 195–206
Flor-Henry P, Koles ZJ, Howarth BG, Burton L (1979) Neurophysiological studies of schizophrenia, mania and depression. In: Gruzelier J, Flor-Henry P (eds) Hemispheric asymmetries of function in psychopathology. Elsevier, North Holland, New York, pp 189–222
Gilbert DG (1985) Nicotine's effects on lateralised EEG and emotion. Paper presented at the 6th Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioural Medicine
Gilbert DG (1987) The effects of smoking and nicotine on EEG lateralisation as a function of personality. Person Indiv Diff 8:933–941
Gilbert DG, Welser R (1989) Emotion, anxiety and smoking. In: Ney T, Gale A (eds) Smoking and human behavior. Wiley, Chichester, pp 171–196
Gilbert DG, Robinson JH, Chamberlin CL, Spielberger CD (1989) Effects of smoking/nicotine on anxiety, heart rate and lateralisation of EEG during a stressful movie. Psychophysiology 26:311–320
Goldstein L, Stoltzfus NW (1973) Psychoactive drug-induced changes of interhemispheric EEG amplitude relationships. Agents Actions 3:124–132
Kinsbourne M, Bemporad B (1984) Lateralisation of emotion: a model and the evidence. In: Fox NA, Davidson RJ (eds) The psychobiology of affective development. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, New Jersey, pp 259–291
Knott VJ (1988) Dynamic EEG changes during cigarette smoking. Neuropsychobiology 19:54–60
Knott VJ (1989) Effects of low-yield cigarettes on electroencephalographic dynamics. Neuropsychobiology 21:216–222
MacKay CJ, Cox T, Burrows GC, Lazzarini A (1978) An inventory for the measurement of self-reported stress and arousal. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 17:283–284
McAllister HG, Armstrong GA, McClelland RJ, Linggard R (1983) Data acquisition in neurophysiology. A flexible microcomputer system for recording neurophysiological data. Br J Audiol 17:275–277
Mangan GL, Golding J (1978) An “enhancement” model of smoking maintenance? In: Thornton RE (ed) Smoking behaviour: physiological and psychological influences. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 87–114
Norton R (1989) The effects of nicotine, benzodiazepine and mood on electrocortical activity. Unpublished doctoral thesis, Queen's University of Belfast, Ireland, UK
Norton R, Howard R (1988) Smoking, mood and the contingent negative variation in a go-no go avoidance task. J Psychophysiol 2:109–118
Norton R, Howard R, Brown K (1991) Nicotine dose-dependent effects of smoking on P300 and mood. Med Sci Res 19:355–356
Rawbone RG, Murphy K, Tate ME, Kane SJ (1978) The analysis of smoking parameters: inhalation and absorption of tobacco smoke in studies of human smoking behaviour. In: Thornton RE (ed) Smoking behaviour: physiological and psychological influences. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, pp 171–194
Schachter S (1973) Nesbitt's paradox. In: Dunn WL (ed) Smoking behaviour: motives and incentives. Winston, Washington, DC, pp 147–156
Stillman RC, Wokowitz O, Weingarter H, Waldman I, DeRenzo EV, Wyatt RJ (1977) Marijuana: differential effects on right and left hemisphere functions in man. Life Sci 21:1793–1800
Tucker DM, Williamson PA (1984) Asymmetric neural systems in human self-regulation. Psychol Rev 91:185–215
Tucker DM, Antes JR, Stenslie CE, Barnhardt TN (1978) Anxiety and lateral cerebral function. J Abnorm Psychol 87:380–383
Tyler SK, Tucker DM (1982) Anxiety and perceptual structure differences in neuropsychological function. J Abnorm Psychol 91:210–220
Warburton DM (1989) The functional use of nicotine. In: Wald N, Froggatt P (eds) Nicotine, smoking and the low tar programme. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 182–199
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Norton, R., Brown, K. & Howard, R. Smoking, nicotine dose and the lateralisation of electrocortical activity. Psychopharmacology 108, 473–479 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247424
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02247424