The smoking cessation drug varenicline improves deficient P20-N40 inhibition in DBA/2 mice

► Varenicline is a partial agonist at α4β2 and full agonist at α7 nicotinic receptors. ► Varenicline improves a sensory inhibition deficit in DBA/2 mice. ► Improvement is via activation of α4β2 with an indication for α7 involvement.