14 DAY TRIAL // According to a new investigation conducted by scientists at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), young smokers tend to display abnormal brain development patterns after they pick up this habit. The correlation is especially strong for individuals between late adolescence and early adulthood, which is a critical period for the development of the human brain.
The team says that the young make up the largest group of smokers in the United States. This suggests that the high incidence of mental issues among young adults could be explained, at least in part, by smoking and cigarette use. In addition to the actual smoking, this habit changes brain structure through dependence and cravings as well.
UCLA experts were also able to determine that this effect develops even in young adults or adolescents who have been smoking for just a short period of time. These findings also provide a new window into understanding why smoking is so addictive if picked up at a very early age. Adults who take up smoking generally find it easier to quit, even after several years of using cigarettes.
The investigation was conducted by experts with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the university. The senior author of the study was professor of psychiatry and of molecular and medical pharmacology Edythe London. The work is detailed in the March 3 online issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
“Although we are not certain whether the findings represent the effects of smoking or a genetic risk factor for nicotine dependence, the results may reflect the initial effects of cigarette smoking on the brain,” London explains, quoted by PsychCentral.
“This work may also contribute to the understanding of why smoking during this developmental stage has such a profound impact on lifelong smoking behavior,” the research adds. The first author of the paper was UCLA graduate student Angelica Morales, who works in London's lab at the university.
Upon analyzing the brains of smokers and non-smokers, the team was able to identify structural differences in a region of the cerebral cortex called the insula, which is known to play a role in decision-making and in monitoring internal states within the human body.
Past studies have shown it to play an important role in underlying addiction to tobacco. The insula features the highest concentration of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of all areas in the human brain. These receptors are activated by the presence of nicotine from tobacco.
“Our results suggest that participants with greater smoking exposure had more severe nicotine dependence, more cigarette craving and less insular thickness than those with less exposure. While this was a small study and needs to be replicated, our findings show an apparent effect of smoking on brain structure in young people, even with a relatively short smoking history,” London concludes.