"Differential Effects of Smoking on Selective Attention and Visuospatial Working Memory in Emerging Indian Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

The neurobiological vulnerability of the developing brain to nicotineexposure raises critical questions about cognitive functioning in emergingadults who smoke. This study examined differences in inhibitory control,selective attention, and visuospatial working memory between smokers(n = 38) and nonsmokers (n = 60) aged 18–25 years. Participantscompleted the computerized Stroop Test and Corsi Block-Tapping Test(backward span) to assess these cognitive domains. Mann-WhitneyU analyses revealed that smokers demonstrated significantly greaterselective attention than nonsmokers (U = 610.00, p < .001), evidencedby faster interference resolution on the Stroop task. Conversely,nonsmokers outperformed smokers on visuospatial working memory (U =880.50, p = .052). No significant group differences emerged for inhibitorycontrol (U = 1071.00, p = .615). Spearman correlations indicated nosignificant intercorrelations among the three cognitive functions withineither group, suggesting domain-specific rather than global effects ofnicotine exposure. These findings reveal a paradoxical pattern: acuteattentional enhancement coexists with working memory decrements inyoung smokers. The results challenge unidimensional models of nicotine’scognitive effects and have implications for cessation interventionstargeting the emerging adult population, who may perceive short-termcognitive benefits while incurring longer-term costs to spatial memorysystems critical for academic and occupational success.