Development of central and peripheral smoking effects over time.

The present study compared for the first morning cigarettes CO and nicotine absorption as well as the effects on EEG and peripheral functions across a period of 90 min. Eighteen smokers participated in two sessions, one in which they smoked two cigarettes in succession and another in which they smoked three cigarettes at 30-min intervals. Smoking two cigarettes in succession produced a particularly wide range in nicotine absorption so that the subjects could be grouped into high (HN) and low (LN) nicotine absorbers, differing significantly in their CO and nicotine absorption. The smoking-induced cardioacceleration was greater and lasted longer in the HN than in the LN group. While the dominant alpha frequency increased to a significant extent in the HN group only, beta power increased in both groups, alpha power remained unaffected, theta power decreased in the HN group only and the effects on heart rate, dominant alpha frequency and beta power were significantly correlated with nicotine absorption across both groups. Smoking three cigarettes at 30-min intervals produced qualitatively similar but generally smaller effects. However, neither nicotine uptake nor any of the physiological parameters showed differential developments between the two groups, except the dominant alpha frequency, which increased in the HN group only. The development of acute tolerance to smoking across three cigarettes was observed only for finger vasoconstriction, craving to smoke and sickness after smoking, but not for cardioacceleration or any EEG parameters.