The effect of smoking on ocular saccadic latency time

Abstract

In 35 healthy regular smokers, visually guided saccades were recorded after a nonsmoking period of at least 90 minutes and a second time within ten minutes after smoking one cigarette, using electro-oculo-graphy (EOG). A dose-related decrease in saccadic reaction time was seen with increasing daily cigarette consumption. This shortening of saccadic latency could result from the general arousal effect of nicotine on several parts of the central nervous system or from a modulation of the inhibitory system involved in saccadic initiation. In spite of this, the expected acute effect of cigarette smoking on saccadic latency time could not be demonstrated. The authors suggest that cigarette smoking exerts in regular smokers a long-term accelerating effect on saccadic latency time, lasting more than 90 minutes.

Key Words:

• smoking
• nicotine
• ocular saccades
• latency time