[A review of the effects of nicotine on schizophrenia].

It is increasingly appreciated that amongst psychiatric cigarette smokers, those with schizophrenia have elevated rates of smoking compared to the general population. Nicotine seems to improve cognitive functions critically affected in schizophrenia. There is substantial evidence that nicotine could be used by patients with schizophrenia as a "self-medication" to improve deficits in attention, cognition, and information processing. Perhaps nicotine has influence on intensity of side effects of antipsychotic medication. Nicotine treatment modulates both dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission, and these effects are specific both to brain region and functional system. Understanding how and why schizophrenic individuals use nicotine may lead to the development of new treatments for both schizophrenia and nicotine dependence.