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Wanger TJ, de Moura FB, Ashare R, Loughead J, Lukas S, Lerman C, Janes AC. Brain and cortisol responses to smoking cues are linked in tobacco-smoking individuals. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13338. [PMID: 38017638 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Cues associated with smoking can induce relapse, which is likely driven by cue-induced neurobiological and physiological mechanisms. For instance, greater relapse vulnerability is associated with increases in cue-induced insula activation and heightened cortisol concentrations. Determining if there is a link between such cue-induced responses is critical given the need for biomarkers that can be easily measured in clinical settings and used to drive targeted treatment. Further, comprehensively characterising biological reactions to cues promises to aid in the development of therapies that address this specific relapse risk factor. To determine whether brain and cortisol responses to smoking cues are linked, this study recruited 27 nicotine-dependent tobacco-smoking individuals and acquired whole-brain functional activation during a cue reactivity task; salivary cortisol was measured before and after scanning. The results showed that increases in blood-oxygen-level-dependent activation in the right anterior insula and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) when viewing smoking versus neutral cues were positively correlated with a post-scan rise in salivary cortisol concentrations. These brain regions have been previously implicated in substance use disorders for their role in salience, interoception and executive processes. These findings show that those who have a rise in cortisol following smoking cue exposure also have a related rise in cue-induced brain reactivity, in brain regions previously linked with heightened relapse vulnerability. This is clinically relevant as measuring cue-induced cortisol responses is a more accessible proxy for assessing the engagement of cue-induced neurobiological processes associated with the maintenance of nicotine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Wanger
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Fernando B de Moura
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca Ashare
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - James Loughead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott Lukas
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Caryn Lerman
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Amy C Janes
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Deshpande HU, Fedota JR, Castillo J, Salmeron BJ, Ross TJ, Stein EA. Not all smokers are alike: the hidden cost of sustained attention during nicotine abstinence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1633-1642. [PMID: 35091674 PMCID: PMC9283548 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01275-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrome (NWS)-associated cognitive deficits are notably heterogeneous, suggesting underlying endophenotypic variance. However, parsing this variance in smokers has remained challenging. In this study, we identified smoker subgroups based on response accuracy during a Parametric Flanker Task (PFT) and then characterized distinct neuroimaging endophenotypes using a nicotine state manipulation. Smokers completed the PFT in two fMRI sessions (nicotine sated, abstinent). Based on response accuracy in the stressful, high cognitive demand PFT condition, smokers split into high (HTP, n = 21) and low task performer (LTP, n = 24) subgroups. Behaviorally, HTPs showed greater response accuracy (88.68% ± 5.19 SD) vs. LTPs (51.04% ± 4.72 SD), independent of nicotine state, and greater vulnerability to abstinence-induced errors of omission (EOm, p = 0.01). Neurobiologically, HTPs showed greater BOLD responses in attentional control brain regions, including bilateral insula, dorsal ACC, and frontoparietal Cx for the [correct responses (-) errors of commission] PFT contrast in both states. A whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) analysis with these subgroup-derived regions as seeds identified two circuits: Precentral Cx↔Insula and Insula↔Occipital Cx, with abstinence-induced FC strength increases seen only in HTPs. Finally, abstinence-induced FC and behavior (EOm) differences were positively correlated for HTPs in a Precentral Cx↔Orbitofrontal cortical circuit. In sum, only the HTP subgroup demonstrated sustained attention deficits following 48-hr nicotine abstinence, a stressor in dependent smokers. Unpacking underlying smoker heterogeneity with this 'dual (task and abstinence) stressor' approach revealed discrete smoker subgroups with differential attentional deficits to withdrawal that could be novel pharmacological/behavioral targets for therapeutic interventions to improve cessation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshawardhan U. Deshpande
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - John R. Fedota
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA ,grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Present Address: Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Branch, Division of Neuroscience Behavior, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Juan Castillo
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Betty Jo Salmeron
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- grid.420090.f0000 0004 0533 7147Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA
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Kim DY, Jang Y, Heo DW, Jo S, Kim HC, Lee JH. Electronic Cigarette Vaping Did Not Enhance the Neural Process of Working Memory for Regular Cigarette Smokers. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:817538. [PMID: 35250518 PMCID: PMC8894252 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.817538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) as substitute devices for regular tobacco cigarettes (r-cigs) have been increasing in recent times. We investigated neuronal substrates of vaping e-cigs and smoking r-cigs from r-cig smokers. Methods Twenty-two r-cig smokers made two visits following overnight smoking cessation. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while participants watched smoking images. Participants were then allowed to smoke either an e-cig or r-cig until satiated and fMRI data were acquired. Their craving levels and performance on the Montreal Imaging Stress Task and a 3-back alphabet/digit recognition task were obtained and analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. Regions-of-interest (ROIs) were identified by comparing the abstained and satiated conditions. Neuronal activation within ROIs was regressed on the craving and behavioral data separately. Results Craving was more substantially reduced by smoking r-cigs than by vaping e-cigs. The response time (RT) for the 3-back task was significantly shorter following smoking r-cigs than following vaping e-cigs (interaction: F (1, 17) = 5.3, p = 0.035). Neuronal activations of the right vermis (r = 0.43, p = 0.037, CI = [-0.05, 0.74]), right caudate (r = 0.51, p = 0.015, CI = [0.05, 0.79]), and right superior frontal gyrus (r = −0.70, p = 0.001, CI = [−0.88, −0.34]) were significantly correlated with the RT for the 3-back task only for smoking r-cigs. Conclusion Our findings suggest that insufficient satiety from vaping e-cigs for r-cigs smokers may be insignificant effect on working memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Youl Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Yujin Jang
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Da-Woon Heo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungman Jo
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Chul Kim
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jong-Hwan Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Jong-Hwan Lee,
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Bi Y, Hu L. Magnetic resonance imaging for smoking abstinence: symptoms, mechanisms, and interventions. BRAIN SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.26599/bsa.2021.9050016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although a number of smokers are aware of the adverse outcomes of smoking and express a strong desire to stop smoking, most smoking quit attempts end in relapse within the first few days of abstinence, primarily resulting from the aversive aspects of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome. Therefore, studying the neural mechanisms of smoking abstinence, identifying smokers with heightened relapse vulnerability prior to quit attempts, and developing effective smoking cessation treatments appear to be promising strategies for improving the success of quit attempts. In recent years, with the development of magnetic resonance imaging, the neural substrates of smoking abstinence have become extensively studied. In this review, we first introduce the psychophysiological changes induced by smoking abstinence, including affective, cognitive, and somatic signs. We then provide an overview of the magnetic resonance imaging-based evidence regarding abstinence-related functional changes accompanied by these psychophysiological changes. We conclude with a discussion of the neural markers that could predict relapse during quit attempts and a summary of the psychophysiological interventions that are currently often used to help with smoking cessation. This review extends our understanding of the role of the central nervous system in smoking abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhi Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Rab SL, Admon R. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in key nervous system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:550-564. [PMID: 32941963 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful events is omnipresent in modern human life, yet people show considerable heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure(s) on their functionality and overall health. Encounter with stressor(s) is counteracted by an intricate repertoire of nervous-system responses. This narrative review starts with a brief summary of the vast evidence that supports heart rate variability, cortisol secretion, and large-scale cortical network interactions as kay physiological, endocrinological, and neural mechanisms of stress responsivity, respectively. The second section highlights potential sources for inter-individual variability in these mechanisms, by focusing on biological, environmental, social, habitual, and psychological factors that may influence stress responsivity patterns and thus contribute to heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure on functionality and health. The third section introduces intra-individually variability in stress responsivity across functional domains as a novel putative source for heterogeneity in the impact of stress exposure. Challenges and future directions are further discussed. Parsing inter- and intra-individual variability in nervous-system mechanisms of stress responsivity and across functional domains is critical towards potential clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharona L Rab
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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