Abstract
Although previous research had related structural changes and impaired cognition to chronic cigarette smoking, recent neuroimaging studies have associated nicotine, which is a main chemical substance in cigarettes, with improvements in cognitive functions (e.g. improved attention performance). However, information about the alterations of whole-brain functional connectivity after acute cigarette smoking is limited. In this study, 22 smokers underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) after abstaining from smoking for 12 hours (state of abstinence, SOA). Subsequently, the smokers were allowed to smoke two cigarettes (state of satisfaction, SOS) before they underwent a second rs-fMRI. Twenty non-smokers were also recruited to undergo rs-fMRI. In addition, high-resolution 3D T1-weighted images were acquired using the same magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)scanner for all participants. The results showed that smokers had structural changes in insula, thalamus, medial frontal cortex and several regions of the default mode network (DMN) compared with non-smokers. Voxel-wise group comparisons of newly developed global brain connectivity (GBC) showed that smokers in the SOA condition had higher GBC in the insula and superior frontal gyrus compared with non-smokers. However, smokers in the SOS condition demonstrated significantly lower GBC in several regions of the DMN, as compared with smokers in the SOA condition. These results suggest that structural integrity combined with dysfunction of the DMN might be involved in relapses after a short period of time among smokers.
Highlights
Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally [1,2]
Other studies have found that smokers have smaller gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the thalamus, medial frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and bilateral prefrontal cortex than non-smokers through voxel-based morphometry (VBM)
We observed the structural changes among smokers in the insula, medial frontal gyrus, and several default mode network (DMN) regions, such as the angular gyrus and the inferior parietal lobule
Summary
Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally [1,2]. Chronic cigarette smoking has been associated with structural changes in several key brain regions, including the medial frontal cortex [4], thalamus [5,6], insula [7], parietal cortex [8], anterior cingulate cortex, and middle cingulate cortex [9]. A growing body of evidence suggests that several regions of the brain display structural changes as a result of chronic cigarette smoking. Chronic cigarette smokers have higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus, which is a major WM pathway of frontoparietal tracts [8]. Other studies have found that smokers have smaller gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the thalamus, medial frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and bilateral prefrontal cortex than non-smokers through voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The gray matter (GM) densities in the bilateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, occipital lobe, and the temporal lobe were found to decrease for smokers [4,5,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
