The effects of nicotine on the 13 Hz steady-state visually evoked potential

Objectives: The high alpha/low beta range of the spontaneous EEG appears to be particularly sensitive to the effects of nicotine. The present study examined the acute effects of nicotine on the topography of the 13 Hz steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP). Methods: Thirteen moderate smokers participated in a repeated-measures design. The amplitude and latency of the SSVEP elicited by an unstructured sinusoidal 13 Hz flicker following a <0.05 mg nicotine cigarette were compared to those following a 0.8 mg nicotine cigarette. Results: The nicotine condition was associated with an increase in the amplitude of the SSVEP, when compared to the placebo condition, and this increase was greatest in central and right parietal regions. The latency of the SSVEP was reduced in the nicotine condition in bilateral frontal and right parietal regions. Conclusions: These results are similar to the effects of nicotine seen in studies examining spontaneous EEG, and are consistent with other studies indicating that the 13 Hz SSVEP indexes brain electrical activity in the high alpha/low beta range. The findings are discussed in terms of possible functional significance of nicotine-induced cortical activation in this frequency range.