This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Studies have suggested that nicotine causes a decrease in mood and concentration when administered to non-smokers. However other studies have shown that nicotine can facilitate cognitive functioning and improve memory in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders, such as Schizophrenia. Thus, nicotine seems to have an effect on emotional processing, however the specific mechanisms and underlying functional brain anatomy are not known. Nicotine acts on similar chemical pathways in the brain as the naturally occurring chemical acetylcholine. Acetylcholine, a component of the cholinergic system, is associated with learning and memory. We will examine whether manipulating nicotine has an affect on memory tasks, specifically targeting the emotional memory processing in normal healthy volunteers. This study involves functional brain imaging using an MRI scanner of 16 healthy, non-smoking, young adults. Subjects will complete two study days where they will either receive a nicotine patch or a placebo patch. We will then examine brain areas activated during the encoding of emotional information using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The nicotine patch is used to stimulate targeted brain systems. The memory tasks are emotionally-valenced;meaning that subjects will be shown words and images that are either neutral or negatively charged. By observing the brain areas activated during the memory task given in the MRI scan and examining how a subject later recognizes the words and images they studied, we will be able to assess the brain circuitry affected by this nicotinic stimulation. These results will help us understand the neurobiology of emotional memory and thus facilitate the search for treatment for disorders affecting our emotional processing.
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