Evidence of Altered Brain Responses to Nicotine in an Animal Model of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Nicotine addiction is more common among individuals with ADHD. We found that two circuits involving the VTA responded differently to nicotine in animals that model ADHD in comparison to two control strains. In one circuit, nicotine normalized activity that was abnormal in the ADHD animals, while in the other circuit nicotine caused an atypical brain response in the ADHD animals. The VTA has been implicated in drug reward. Our results would be consistent with an interpretation that nicotine may normalize abnormal brain activity in ADHD, and that nicotine may be more rewarding for individuals with ADHD.

Menthol enhances nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization and in vivo functional connectivity in adolescence

“…The retrosplenial cortex in the context of nicotine is implicated in cue associations or emotional responses (Brody et al, 2007; Gehricke et al, 2009; Nestor et al, 2011). Its activation and functionally connectivity is also observed in animal models of nicotine exposure, based on our findings and those of others (Hsu et al, 2007; Huang et al, 2015; Poirier et al, 2017). Nicotine increases the firing rate of dopamine neurons in the striatum, as well as nucleus accumbens (Bahk et al, 2002; De Biasi and Dani, 2011; Rasmussen and Czachura, 1995).…”

Reducing the Prevalence of Smoking: Policy Measures and Focusing on Specific Populations

“…Poirier and colleagues investigated whether nicotine differently affects functional connectivity between spontaneously hypertensive rats, which is an animal model for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and control rats. 13 Interestingly, nicotine affected functional connectivity between the ventral tegmental area and several other brain region in the spontaneously hypertensive rats differently than in the control rats. On a similar note, a study by Yang and colleagues shows that rats that overexpressed HIV proteins responded differently to nicotine than control rats.…”