The cognitive neurochemistry of nicotine

Part of : Hellenic journal of psychology ; Vol.1, No.1, 2004, pages 34-55

Issue:
Pages:
34-55
Author:
Abstract:
The rationale for this review is to provide a coherent formulation of the cognitiveneurochemistry of nicotine, with the aim of suggesting research and clinical applications. Thefirst part is a comprehensive review of the empirical studies of the enhancing effects of nicotineon information processing, especially those on attentional and mnemonic processing.Then, these studies are put in the context of recent studies on the neurochemistry of nicotineand cholinergic drugs, in general. They suggest a positive effect of nicotine on processesacting on encoded material during the post-acquisition phase, the processes of consolidation.Thus, the involvement of nicotinic receptors in mnemonic processing is modulation of theexcitability of neurons in the hippocampal formation to enable associative processing.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
attention, memory, nicotine
Notes:
Περιέχει βιβλιογραφία, Neuroscience of behavior