Nicotine use in schizophrenia and disinhibition.

The role of personality in nicotine use has been little studied in patients with schizophrenia. The objectives of the present study were to compare impulsivity, sensation seeking and anhedonia in a group of schizophrenic patients with and without current cigarette smoking. One hundred patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (DSM-III-R criteria) were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Fagerström Scale, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Zuckerman Seeking Sensation Scale, and the Chapman Physical Anhedonia Scale.