Developmental effects of acute, chronic, and withdrawal from chronic nicotine on fear conditioning

► We examined developmental effects of nicotine on contextual learning. ► We examined age-related changes in nAChR binding and CREB expression. ► Age-related differences existed in the effects of nicotine on contextual learning. ► Age-related differences in nAChR binding were associated with withdrawal deficits. ► Chronic nicotine exposure during adolescence impaired learning during adulthood.