Abstract
For studies of the behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine in smokers, delivery of nicotine via cigarette smoking is highly variable and difficult to control. A more precise method of delivery is needed in order to accurately manipulate the amount of nicotine being presented and, thus, to determine its quantitative effects. The objective of the study reported here was to test an aerosol nasal-spray method of delivering measured doses of nicotine. Eleven healthy males were presented 0 mg (placebo), 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, and 2.0 mg of nicotine over 5 min during four separate sessions, and changes were observed in plasma nicotine concentration and cardiovascular activity. Dose-response relationships were observed between nicotine presented via this method and plasma nicotine, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and, to a lesser extent, diastolic blood pressure. These results suggest that this aerosol spray method of presenting nicotine provides the measured doses necessary for quantification of nicotine’s effects.
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This research was supported by NIMH Clinical Research Center Grant No. MH-30915 and by NHLBI Grant No. HL07560. The authors express their sincere appreciation to John Foglia, Marc Auerbach, and Kim Smith for their assistance in completing this study.
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Perkins, K.A., Epstein, L.H., Stiller, R. et al. An aerosol spray alternative to cigarette smoking in the study of the behavioral and physiological effects of nicotine. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 18, 420–426 (1986). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201404
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03201404