1
|
Wall MB, Mentink A, Lyons G, Kowalczyk OS, Demetriou L, Newbould RD. Investigating the neural correlates of smoking: Feasibility and results of combining electronic cigarettes with fMRI. Sci Rep 2017; 7:11352. [PMID: 28900267 PMCID: PMC5596056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11872-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cigarette addiction is driven partly by the physiological effects of nicotine, but also by the distinctive sensory and behavioural aspects of smoking, and understanding the neural effects of such processes is vital. There are many practical difficulties associated with subjects smoking in the modern neuroscientific laboratory environment, however electronic cigarettes obviate many of these issues, and provide a close simulation of smoking tobacco cigarettes. We have examined the neural effects of 'smoking' electronic cigarettes with concurrent functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). The results demonstrate the feasibility of using these devices in the MRI environment, and show brain activation in a network of cortical (motor cortex, insula, cingulate, amygdala) and sub-cortical (putamen, thalamus, globus pallidus, cerebellum) regions. Concomitant relative deactivations were seen in the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. These results reveal the brain processes involved in (simulated) smoking for the first time, and validate a novel approach to the study of smoking, and addiction more generally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Wall
- Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK.
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, UK.
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
| | - Alexander Mentink
- Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Leiden University, Rapenburg 70, 2311 EZ, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Georgina Lyons
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Oliwia S Kowalczyk
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Lysia Demetriou
- Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, UK
| | - Rexford D Newbould
- Imanova Centre for Imaging Sciences, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
- Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, UK
- Perspectum Diagnostics, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lindsey KP, Bracken BK, Maclean RR, Ryan ET, Lukas SE, Frederick BD. Nicotine content and abstinence state have different effects on subjective ratings of positive versus negative reinforcement from smoking. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 103:710-6. [PMID: 23219727 PMCID: PMC3565023 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Revised: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the well-known adverse health consequences of smoking, approximately 20% of US adults smoke tobacco cigarettes. Much of the research on smoking reinforcement and the maintenance of tobacco smoking behavior has focused on nicotine; however, a number of other non-nicotine factors are likely to influence the reinforcing effects of smoked tobacco. A growing number of studies suggest that non-nicotine factors, through many pairings with nicotine, are partially responsible for the reinforcing effect of smoking. Additionally, both clinical studies and preclinical advances in our understanding of nicotinic receptor regulation suggest that abstinence from smoking may influence smoking reinforcement. These experiments were conducted for 2 reasons: to validate a MRI-compatible cigarette smoking device; and to simultaneously investigate the impact of nicotine, smoking-associated conditioned reinforcers, and smoking abstinence state on subjective ratings of smoking reinforcement. Participants smoked nicotine and placebo cigarettes through an fMRI compatible device in an overnight-abstinent state or in a nonabstinent state, after having smoked a cigarette 25minutes prior. Outcome measures were within-subject changes in physiology and subjective ratings of craving and drug effect during the smoking of nicotine or placebo cigarettes on different days in both abstinence states. Cigarette type (nicotine vs. placebo) had a significant effect on positive subjective ratings of smoking reinforcement ("High", "Like Drug", "Feel Drug"; nicotine>placebo). In contrast, abstinence state was found to have significant effects on both positive and negative ratings of smoking reinforcement ("Crave", "Anxiety", "Irritability"; abstinence>nonabstinence). Interaction effects between abstinence and nicotine provide clues about the importance of neuroadaptive mechanisms operating in dependence, as well as the impact of conditioned reinforcement on subjective ratings of smoking-induced high.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly P Lindsey
- Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont MA, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|