Common factors across acute subjective effects of nicotine

Nicotine intake acutely induces many different subjective mood effects, which may be critical to understanding nicotine reinforcement. Some of these effects may cluster together, perhaps reflecting common underlying mechanisms (e.g., catecholamine release). In this study of 93 smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers, we conducted factor analyses of responses to a battery of subjective measures (23 visual-analog scale items and Profile of Mood States [POMS] scales) following acute nicotine nasal spray administration. The goal was to identify homogeneous clusters among these diverse effects of nicotine. A subject's response to nicotine on each measure was determined by the slope of his or her dose-response curve (0, 10, 20 microg/kg nicotine). Results of factor analyses identified five factors, labeled "head rush" (head rush, buzzed, lightheaded, jittery), "positive affect" (comfortable, satisfied, relaxed, etc.), "negative affect" (anger, depression, tension), "fatigued" (tired, sedated, fatigue), and "energized" (stimulated, vigor). The factor structure was consistent between smoking status groups. However, as expected, groups differed on mean factor scores for head rush, positive affect, and energized, perhaps reflecting tolerance to these effects of nicotine. Although these specific findings require replication, they suggest that acute subjective responses to nicotine can be captured by a few common factors, potentially simplifying this assessment. Similar research may provide directions for exploring potential mechanisms responsible for these broad subjective effects of nicotine.