Cigarette cues capture attention of smokers and never-smokers, but for different reasons.
BACKGROUND
While the notion that smokers reliably show higher reactivity to cigarette-related versus neutral cues is both theoretically and empirically supported, it is unclear why never-smokers also show enhanced brain responses to cigarette-related cues.


METHODS
Using a repetitive picture viewing paradigm, in which responses evoked by affective cues are more resistant to habituation, we assessed the effects of stimulus repetition on event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by pleasant, unpleasant, cigarette-related, and neutral images in 34 smokers (SMO) and 34 never-smokers (NEV). We examined the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP), two ERP components which are sensitive to a picture's motivational qualities.


RESULTS
Before stimulus repetition, pleasant, unpleasant, and cigarette-related cues produced greater EPN and LPP amplitudes than neutral cues in all subjects. During stimulus repetition, both components were similarly modulated by emotional arousal, such that pleasant, unpleasant, and cigarette-related cues evoked greater EPN and LPP amplitude, relative to neutral. Smoking status did not modulate these effects. While there were no group differences in self-reported stimulus ratings of valence for pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral stimuli, NEV rated cigarette-related cues as unpleasant. We observed a moderate, negative correlation between LPP amplitude and self-reported valence ratings of cigarette-related cues among NEV.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that cigarette-related cues capture attentional resources of both SMO and NEV, but for different reasons. For SMO, cigarette-related cues have acquired motivational significance through repeated associations with nicotine delivery, whereas for NEV, cigarette-related cues are perceived as unpleasant.
['Deweese|Menton M|MM|', 'Codispoti|Maurizio|M|', 'Robinson|Jason D|JD|', 'Cinciripini|Paul M|PM|', 'Versace|Francesco|F|']
D000328:Adult D001143:Arousal D001288:Attention D001921:Brain D003463:Cues D005071:Evoked Potentials D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D000074285:Smokers D012907:Smoking D062789:Tobacco Products
Repetition Event-related potentials Smoking Addiction