Effects of Nicotine and Nicotinic Antagonists on the Acoustic Startle Response and on Pre-Pulse Inhibition in Rats

Abstract

In rats, nicotine has effects on the amplitude of the acoustic startle response (ASR) and on pre-pulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI) that are consistent with an inverted U-shaped dose-effect. Because ASR and PPI have been used to study processes that underlie attention and sensory gating, these effects of nicotine in rats are viewed as consistent with reports that nicotine can enhance attention in human smokers. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects of nicotine have not been identified. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine whether nicotine's effects on ASR and PPI are a result of its effects in the central nervous system or if nicotine's effects on ASR and PPI are due to its effects peripherally.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 07, 1996
Accession Number
AD1011536

Entities

People

  • Eric J. Popke

Organizations

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alzheimer Disease
  • Blood-Brain Barrier
  • Body Weight
  • Brain
  • Central Nervous System
  • Detection
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Drug Abuse
  • Information Processing
  • Information Science
  • Nervous System
  • Neurosciences
  • Physiology
  • Pituitary And Hypothalamic Hormones And Analogues
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology
  • Theses

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Military Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Neurotoxicology