Cinciripini Paul M, Robinson Jason D, Carter Brian L, Lam Cho, Wu XiFeng, de Moor Carl A, Baile Walter F, Wetter David W
Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas, Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77230-1439, USA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2006 Jun;8(3):379-92. doi: 10.1080/14622200600670272.
Although converging lines of evidence suggest that nicotine and mood are related at a fundamental biological level, this link has not been reliably demonstrated in laboratory studies. In this study, startle probe methodology was used to examine the effects of nicotine administration and deprivation on emotional processes associated with motivation. Smokers (N = 115) completed four laboratory sessions crossing deprivation (12-hr deprived vs. nondeprived) with nicotine spray (active vs. placebo). Participants viewed affective pictures (positive, negative, neutral) and pictures involving cigarette cues, while startle probes were administered. Deprivation decreased startle responding to cigarette cues, suggesting an activation of appetitive processes. Nicotine administration suppressed overall startle responding during deprivation. In addition, during deprivation, random exposure to negative stimuli over two blocks of trials resulted in decreased adaptation of the startle response, suggesting that some sensitization to negative emotional cues may take place during nicotine withdrawal. These effects are consistent with formulations of addiction, stressing that withdrawal may both increase the reinforcement salience of smoking stimuli and decrease habituation to negative emotional stimuli.
尽管越来越多的证据表明尼古丁与情绪在基本生物学层面上存在关联，但这一联系在实验室研究中尚未得到可靠证实。在本研究中，采用惊吓探针法来检验尼古丁给药及戒断对与动机相关的情绪过程的影响。吸烟者（N = 115）完成了四个实验室环节，将戒断状态（12小时戒断与未戒断）与尼古丁喷雾（活性与安慰剂）进行交叉处理。参与者观看情感图片（积极、消极、中性）以及涉及香烟线索的图片，同时施加惊吓探针。戒断状态降低了对香烟线索的惊吓反应，表明食欲相关过程被激活。尼古丁给药抑制了戒断期间的总体惊吓反应。此外，在戒断期间，在两个试验组中随机暴露于负面刺激导致惊吓反应的适应性降低，这表明在尼古丁戒断期间可能会对负面情绪线索产生某种敏感化。这些效应与成瘾的相关表述一致，并强调戒断可能既会增加吸烟刺激的强化显著性，又会降低对负面情绪刺激的习惯化。
