Acute Effects of Nicotine on Non-Drug-Related Reward in Smokers and Non-Smokers

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study investigating the acute effects of nicotine on non-drug-related reward in both smokers and non-smokers. The study aimed to explore whether nicotine delivered by oral spray can enhance responding to self-selected sensory rewards in both groups. The key points and main message of the study are summarized below.

Key Points:

* The study recruited 30 minimally abstinent smokers and 31 non-smokers who received either nicotine or placebo oral spray.
* Participants completed subjective ratings of nicotine withdrawal and visual analogue scales to measure the perceived effects of the spray.
* An operant conditioning task (Applepicker) was used to measure the number of apples found (reinforcers), number of clicks (responses), and time spent on the task.
* Measures were taken twice, with and without a reward of 30 seconds of pre-prepared music for each reinforcer earned.
* There were no differences between smokers and non-smokers on ratings of nicotine withdrawal or effects of the spray.
* All participants spent longer searching for apples, earned more reinforcers, and produced more responses when listening to music.
* Nicotine administration led to a higher number of reinforcers earned and, when music was playing, an increase in the number of responses.
* A three-way interaction revealed that non-smokers who had received nicotine spent the longest searching for apples.

Main Message:
The study found that nicotinic enhancement of sensory rewards was seen in non-smokers only, which cannot be accounted for by learned associations with nicotine or reversal of withdrawal effects. The absence of this effect in smokers suggests that higher levels of nicotine than those obtained from 2 mg oral sprays may be required to achieve enhancement of reward in people who regularly consume nicotine. The study highlights the potential for nicotine replacement therapy, including e-cigarettes, to become more effective in smoking cessation if smokers are provided with a dose of nicotine that more closely replicates levels achieved via smoking.

Nicola Rycroft, Catherine Kimber, Emke S E Brazier, Lynne Dawkins, Acute Effects of Nicotine on Non-Drug-Related Reward in Smokers and Non-Smokers, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 27, Issue 5, May 2025, Pages 815–821, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae278