Anterior cingulum white matter is altered in tobacco smokers

Background and Objectives The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is hypothesized to be involved in decision making and emotion regulation. Previous observations of drug dependent individuals indicate that substance dependence may be associated with cingulum white matter abnormalities. The present study...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal on addictions 2016-04, Vol.25 (3), p.210-214
Main Authors: Baeza-Loya, Selina, Velasquez, Kenia Marisela, Molfese, David Lucas, Viswanath, Humsini, Curtis, Kaylah Nicole, Thompson-Lake, Daisy Gemma Yan, Baldwin, Philip Rupert, Ellmore, Timothy Michael, De La Garza II, Richard, Salas, Ramiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anisotropy
Case-Control Studies
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Female
Gyrus Cinguli - drug effects
Gyrus Cinguli - pathology
Humans
Male
Neuroimaging
Smoking - adverse effects
Tobacco Use Disorder - pathology
White Matter - drug effects
White Matter - pathology
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background and Objectives The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is hypothesized to be involved in decision making and emotion regulation. Previous observations of drug dependent individuals indicate that substance dependence may be associated with cingulum white matter abnormalities. The present study evaluated cingulum white matter in cigarette smokers. Methods Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in adult tobacco smokers and healthy non‐smoker controls (total N = 70) was performed in a 3T Siemens Trio MRI scanner. Results Analyses of DTI tractography of the cingulum in tobacco‐smoking individuals and controls indicated that tobacco abusers have significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right cingulum. In addition, FA in the left cingulum white matter was negatively associated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence, a self‐report measure of tobacco dependence severity. Conclusions The white matter of the cingulum is altered in a non‐symmetrical way in tobacco smokers. An inverse relationship between FA and reported number of cigarettes per day was observed. Previous studies have also noted altered neural connectivity in cigarette smokers using similar methods. Similar white matter differences in the cingulum have been observed in methamphetamine dependent individuals and patients with dementia, which suggests that the cingulum may be altered by mechanisms not specific to tobacco exposure. Scientific Significance By better understanding the effects of tobacco abuse on the brain, we hope to gain insight into how drug dependence influences the neurological foundations of behavior. (Am J Addict 2016;25:210–214)
ISSN:1055-0496
1521-0391
DOI:10.1111/ajad.12362