Effects of acute nicotine on prepulse inhibition of auditory change-related cortical responses

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2013-11, Vol.256, p.27-35
• Main Authors: Kodaira, Minori, Tsuruhara, Aki, Motomura, Eishi, Tanii, Hisashi, Inui, Koji, Kakigi, Ryusuke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustic Stimulation - methods; Adult; Auditory change-related cortical response; Auditory Perception - drug effects; Auditory Perception - physiology; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - physiology; Change-N1m; Ear and associated structures. Auditory pathways and centers. Hearing. Vocal organ. Phonation. Sound production. Echolocation; Evoked Potentials, Auditory - drug effects; Female; Functional Laterality; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Nicotine; Nicotine - pharmacology; Nicotinic Agonists - pharmacology; Prepulse inhibition; Prepulse Inhibition - drug effects; Prepulse Inhibition - physiology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reflex, Startle - drug effects; Reflex, Startle - physiology; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Startle; Time Factors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.07.045

•Effects of acute nicotine on PPI of Change-N1m were studied using MEG.•Nicotine tended to enhance Change-N1m and significantly enhanced PPI of Change-N1m.•The enhancing effect of nicotine on PPI of Change-N1m was similar to that on PPI of startle.•PPI of Change-N1m and PPI of startle share at least some common mechanisms. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle is a measure of inhibitory function in which a weak leading stimulus suppresses the startle response to an intense stimulus. Usually, startle blink reflexes to an intense sound are used for measuring PPI. A recent magnetoencephalographic study showed that a similar phenomenon is observed for auditory change-related cortical response (Change-N1m) to an abrupt change in sound features. It has been well established that nicotine enhances PPI of startle. Therefore, in the present magnetoencephalographic study, the effects of acute nicotine on PPI of the Change-N1m were studied in 12 healthy subjects (two females and 10 males) under a repeated measures and placebo-controlled design. Nicotine (4mg) was given as nicotine gum. The test Change-N1m response was elicited with an abrupt increase in sound pressure by 6dB in a continuous background sound of 65dB. PPI was produced by an insertion of a prepulse with a 3-dB-louder or 6-dB-weaker sound pressure than the background 75ms before the test stimulus. Results show that nicotine tended to enhance the test Change-N1m response and significantly enhanced PPI for both prepulses. Therefore, nicotine's enhancing effect on PPI of the Change-N1m was similar to that on PPI of the startle. The present results suggest that the two measures share at least some mechanisms.