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Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Smoking in Tobacco Smokers After Overnight Abstinence

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Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Smoking in Tobacco Smokers After Overnight Abstinence.

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Study at a glance

Area
Addiction
Study type
Controlled study
Authors
Zubieta JK, Heitzeg MM, Xu Y, Koeppe RA, Ni L, Guthrie S, Domino EF
Journal
American Journal of Psychiatry
Year
2005
Participants
19 tobacco smokers
Protocol
PET regional cerebral blood flow imaging during smoking

Key findings

  • First cigarette increased blood flow in visual cortex and cerebellum
  • First cigarette reduced blood flow in anterior cingulate, right hippocampus and ventral striatum, including the nucleus accumbens
  • Craving scores correlated with blood flow changes in dorsal anterior cingulate and right hippocampus
  • Effects were weaker with the second cigarette and the denicotinized cigarette

DOI 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.3.567 → PubMed 15741475 →

A positron emission tomography (PET) study of how smoking changes regional cerebral blood flow in chronic smokers after about 12 hours without cigarettes. In a double-blind design, participants smoked two regular-nicotine cigarettes and one denicotinized cigarette across six scans, with craving ratings collected. The first cigarette of the day raised blood flow in visual cortex and cerebellum and lowered it in reward-related and limbic regions. The authors conclude smoking affects both nicotine-receptor-rich areas and circuits tied to drug reward and craving.