Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Jan;76 Pt B(0 0):581-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.034. Epub 2013 Apr 29.

Cognitive function during nicotine withdrawal: Implications for nicotine dependence treatment

Rebecca L Ashare  1 , Mary Falcone, Caryn Lerman
Affiliations
Review

Cognitive function during nicotine withdrawal: Implications for nicotine dependence treatment

Rebecca L Ashare et al. Neuropharmacology. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Nicotine withdrawal is associated with deficits in neurocognitive function including sustained attention, working memory, and response inhibition. Several convergent lines of evidence suggest that these deficits may represent a core dependence phenotype and a target for treatment development efforts. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying withdrawal-related cognitive deficits may lead to improve nicotine dependence treatment. We begin with an overview of the neurocognitive effects of withdrawal in rodent and human models, followed by discussion of the neurobehavioral mechanisms that are thought to underlie these effects. We then review individual differences in withdrawal-related neurocognitive effects including genetics, gender, and psychiatric comorbidity. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of this research for developing improved therapies, both pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments, that target cognitive symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'.

Keywords: Attention; Cognition; Nicotine; Smoking cessation; Withdrawal; Working memory.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ago Y, Koda K, Takuma K, Matsuda T. Pharmacological aspects of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor galantamine. Journal of Pharmacological Sciences. 2011;116:6–17. - PubMed
    1. AhnAllen CG, Nestor PG, Shenton ME, McCarley RW, Niznikiewicz MA. Early nicotine withdrawal and transdermal nicotine effects on neurocognitive performance in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2008;100:261–269. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allison C, Shoaib M. Nicotine improves performance in an attentional set shifting task in rats. Neuropharmacology. 2013;64:314–320. - PubMed
    1. Alvarez J, Emory E. Executive Function and the Frontal Lobes: A Meta-Analytic Review. Neuropsychol Rev. 2006;16:17–42. - PubMed
    1. Andreasen JT, Olsen GM, Wiborg O, Redrobe JP. Antidepressant-like effects of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, but not agonists, in the mouse forced swim and mouse tail suspension tests. J Psychopharmacol. 2009;23:797–804. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms