Short-term effects of nicotine gum on facial detection in healthy nonsmokers: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to investigate short-term effects of nicotine gum on facial detection. Methods: Fourteen participants (mean age = 26.8 years, SD = 2.5 years; eight males) were enrolled in this pilot randomized controlled trial of nicotine gum administration (placebo, 2-mg and 4-mg doses). The participants were instructed to detect the location of a face when it was presented in a face/nonface pair on the screen. A repeated multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to analyze the results for reaction time and discrimination index. Demographics were used to explore significant association on facial detection. Bayesian analyses were also carried out considering maximum robustness to avoid bias. Results: The results indicated that the 2-mg dose resulted in faster reaction time and better discrimination than the 4-mg dose (p < 0.001). The 4-mg dose resulted in slower reaction time and lower discrimination index compared to both placebo (p < 0.01) and 2-mg doses (p < 0.001). Demographic data were not related to the outcomes. Conclusions: The results indicate that nicotine improved facial detection, but only at low doses (i.e., 2-mg), following a U-shaped curve. We trust future studies will continue to advance this research field, and if further work supports these preliminary findings, nicotine can act as therapeutic target in populations such as those with low vision.