The P300 event-related potential and smoking — A population-based case–control study

A better understanding of the factors underlying habitual tobacco smoking may further new strategies to go about this major health problem. The P300 event-related potential (ERP) has emerged as a valuable (endo)phenotype in neuropsychiatric research. Previous studies suggested the P300 ERP to be reduced in smokers. The main purpose of the present study was to provide an in-depth description of smoking-related behavioral, biological and electrophysiological phenotypes with an emphasis on the P300 ERP and its mutual relationship with other smoking-related parameters. In this case–control study N = 1318 participants (smokers and never-smoking controls) were investigated at 6 German academic institutions. Study participants were randomly selected from the general population. Subjects with mental disorders including alcoholism and drug abuse were excluded. The main outcome measure was the P300 global field power (GFP). We found a lower P300 GFP in current smokers compared to never-smoking controls. Furthermore a correlation between measures of smoking severity and P300 GFP reduction was found. Non-addicted smokers exhibited normal P300 ERP measures. This study provides further evidence that the P300 ERP is reduced in current smokers even in the absence of potentially confounding psychiatric comorbidity. Thus, P300 amplitude reduction clearly is part of the electrophysiological phenotype of smokers. Our results provide the phenotypical groundwork for future multidimensional analyses of genotype–phenotype relationships in the field of smoking and nicotine dependence.