Effects of nicotine and atomoxetine on brain function during response inhibition.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

However, despite growing evidence of acetylcholine-noradrenaline interactions, there are only very few direct comparisons of the two substances.

Here, the researchers investigated the effects of nicotine and atomoxetine on response inhibition in the stop-signal task and the researchers characterised the neural correlates of these effects using blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as teenagers, young adults and adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

As a double-blind Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) study, the assignments were hidden from both participants and investigators until the end.

A placebo (an inactive look-alike) gave the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) group a baseline to be compared against.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

What Was Measured

Here, the researchers investigated the effects of nicotine and atomoxetine on response inhibition in the stop-signal task and the researchers characterised the neural correlates of these effects using blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T.

There were no drug effects on behavioural performance or subjective state measures.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Administration, Cutaneous, Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors, Atomoxetine Hydrochloride, Brain, Healthy Volunteers, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted and Inhibition, Psychological.

Author keywords: Cognitive control, Impulsivity, Neuroimaging and Nicotine.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide).

The publication is from 2019 (European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology), a journal based in Netherlands.

More context: the Therapeutic nicotine (patch, non-peptide) compound page, all human trials.