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Ghahremani DG, Pochon JBF, Diaz MP, Tyndale RF, Dean AC, London ED. Nicotine dependence and insula subregions: functional connectivity and cue-induced activation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:936-945. [PMID: 36869233 PMCID: PMC10156746 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine dependence is a major predictor of relapse in people with Tobacco Use Disorder (TUD). Accordingly, therapies that reduce nicotine dependence may promote sustained abstinence from smoking. The insular cortex has been identified as a promising target in brain-based therapies for TUD, and has three major sub-regions (ventral anterior, dorsal anterior, and posterior) that serve distinct functional networks. How these subregions and associated networks contribute to nicotine dependence is not well understood, and therefore was the focus of this study. Sixty individuals (28 women; 18-45 years old), who smoked cigarettes daily, rated their level of nicotine dependence (on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence) and, after abstaining from smoking overnight (~12 h), underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a resting state. A subset of these participants (N = 48) also completing a cue-induced craving task during fMRI. Correlations between nicotine dependence and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and cue-induced activation of the major insular sub-regions were evaluated. Nicotine dependence was negatively correlated with connectivity of the left and right dorsal, and left ventral anterior insula with regions within the superior parietal lobule (SPL), including the left precuneus. No relationship between posterior insula connectivity and nicotine dependence was found. Cue-induced activation in the left dorsal anterior insula was positively associated with nicotine dependence and negatively associated with RSFC of the same region with SPL, suggesting that craving-related responsivity in this subregion was greater among participants who were more dependent. These results may inform therapeutic approaches, such as brain stimulation, which may elicit differential clinical outcomes (e.g., dependence, craving) depending on the insular subnetwork that is targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara G Ghahremani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jean-Baptiste F Pochon
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maylen Perez Diaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rachel F Tyndale
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andy C Dean
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Edythe D London
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Ghahremani DG, Pochon JB, Perez Diaz M, Tyndale RF, Dean AC, London ED. Functional connectivity of the anterior insula during withdrawal from cigarette smoking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2083-2089. [PMID: 34035468 PMCID: PMC8505622 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01036-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Currently available therapies for smoking cessation have limited efficacy, and potential treatments that target specific brain regions are under evaluation, with a focus on the insula. The ventral and dorsal anterior subregions of the insula serve distinct functional networks, yet our understanding of how these subregions contribute to smoking behavior is unclear. Resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) provides a window into network-level function associated with smoking-related internal states. The goal of this study was to determine potentially distinct relationships of ventral and dorsal anterior insula RSFC with cigarette withdrawal after brief abstinence from smoking. Forty-seven participants (24 women; 18-45 years old), who smoked cigarettes daily and were abstinent from smoking overnight (~12 h), provided self-reports of withdrawal and underwent resting-state fMRI before and after smoking the first cigarette of the day. Correlations between withdrawal and RSFC were computed separately for ventral and dorsal anterior insula seed regions in whole-brain voxel-wise analyses. Withdrawal was positively correlated with RSFC of the right ventral anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) before but not after smoking. The correlation was mainly due to a composite effect of craving and physical symptoms of withdrawal. These results suggest a role of right ventral anterior insula-dACC connectivity in the internal states that maintain smoking behavior (e.g., withdrawal) and present a specific neural target for brain-based therapies seeking to attenuate withdrawal symptoms in the critical early stages of smoking cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dara G. Ghahremani
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pochon
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Maylen Perez Diaz
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Rachel F. Tyndale
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Andy C. Dean
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Edythe D. London
- grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA ,grid.19006.3e0000 0000 9632 6718Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA USA
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Wen M, Yang Z, Wei Y, Huang H, Zheng R, Wang W, Gao X, Zhang M, Fang K, Zhang Y, Cheng J, Han S. More than just statics: Temporal dynamic changes of intrinsic brain activity in cigarette smoking. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13050. [PMID: 34085358 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Smoking is companied with altered intrinsic activity of the brain measured by amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation. Evidence has revealed that human brain activity is a highly dynamic and rapidly changing system. How exactly cigarette smoking affect temporal dynamic intrinsic brain activity is not fully understood nor is it clear how smoking severity influences spontaneous brain activity. Dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (dALFF) was used to examine the dynamic temporal variability in 93 participants (63 smokers, 30 nonsmokers). We further divided smokers into light and heavy smokers. The temporal variability in intrinsic brain activity among these groups was compared. Correlation analyses were performed between dALFF in areas showing group differences and smoking behaviour (e.g., the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence [FTND] scores and pack-years). Smokers showed significantly increased dALFF in the left inferior/middle frontal gyrus, right orbitofrontal gyrus, right insula, left superior/medial frontal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus than nonsmokers. Light smokers showed increased dALFF variability in the left prefrontal cortex. Heavy smokers showed increased dynamics in specific brain regions, including the right postcentral gyrus, right insula and left precentral gyrus. Furthermore, the temporal variability in dALFF in the left superior/medial frontal gyrus, left superior/middle frontal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus and right insula was positively correlated with pack-years or FTND. Combined, these results suggest that smokers increase stable and persistent spontaneous brain activity in prefrontal cortex, involved impaired gold-directed action and value-based decision-making. In addition, individuals with heavier smoking severity show increased perturbance on spontaneous brain activity of perception and sensorimotor, related to increased reliance.
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Perez Diaz M, Pochon JB, Ghahremani DG, Dean AC, Faulkner P, Petersen N, Tyndale RF, Donis A, Paez D, Cahuantzi C, Hellemann GS, London ED. Sex Differences in the Association of Cigarette Craving With Insula Structure. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:624-633. [PMID: 33830218 PMCID: PMC8378076 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cigarette craving, which can negatively impact smoking cessation, is reportedly stronger in women than in men when they initiate abstinence from smoking. Identifying approaches to counteract craving in people of different sexes may facilitate the development of personalized treatments for Tobacco Use Disorder, which disproportionately affects women. Because cigarette craving is associated with nicotine dependence and structure of the insula, this study addressed whether a person's sex influences these associations. METHODS The research participants (n = 99, 48 women) reported daily cigarette smoking and provided self-reports of nicotine dependence. After overnight abstinence from smoking, they underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging scanning to determine cortical thickness of the left and right anterior circular insular sulcus, and self-rated their cigarette craving before and after their first cigarette of the day. RESULTS Women reported stronger craving than men irrespective of smoking condition (i.e., pre- and post-smoking) (P = .048), and smoking reduced craving irrespective of sex (P < .001). A 3-way interaction of sex, smoking condition, and right anterior circular insular sulcus thickness on craving (P = .033) reflected a negative association of cortical thickness with pre-smoking craving in women only (P = .012). No effects of cortical thickness in the left anterior circular insular sulcus were detected. Nicotine dependence was positively associated with craving (P < .001) across groups and sessions, with no sex differences in this association. CONCLUSIONS A negative association of right anterior insula thickness with craving in women only suggests that this region may be a relevant therapeutic target for brain-based smoking cessation interventions in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maylen Perez Diaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pochon
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Dara G Ghahremani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andy C Dean
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Paul Faulkner
- Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Nicole Petersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rachel F Tyndale
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Donis
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Diana Paez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Citlaly Cahuantzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Gerhard S Hellemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Edythe D London
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Joshi DD, Puaud M, Fouyssac M, Belin‐Rauscent A, Everitt B, Belin D. The anterior insular cortex in the rat exerts an inhibitory influence over the loss of control of heroin intake and subsequent propensity to relapse. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:4115-4126. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dhaval D. Joshi
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Mickaël Puaud
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Maxime Fouyssac
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | | | - Barry Everitt
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - David Belin
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
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