Tobacco effects on cortical evoked potentials to distracting stimuli.

In a group of female smokers, cortical evoked potentials (EP) were averaged to low and high intensity auditory stimuli which were presented during both task and non-task conditions and in separate smoking and non-smoking sessions. Four individual EP peaks, P1,N1,P2,N2 and 3 peak-to-peak measures, P1-N2, N1-P2, N2-P2, were involved in amplitude analysis. Tobacco significantly interacted with intensity and task condition to produce both increases (P1, N1) and decreases (P2, P2-N2) in amplitudes of EP peaks. The results are discussed in relation to arousal and information processing.