More than just statics: Temporal dynamic changes of intrinsic brain activity in cigarette smoking

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.

Weight Status Modulated Brain Regional Homogeneity in Long-Term Male Smokers

“…Besides, the superior frontal gyrus was considered as a possible target of neuromodulation in overweight/obesity for it can significantly predicted BMI ( 44 , 45 ). Similarly, in heavy smokers, spontaneous activity in the superior frontal gyrus was also affected by chronic tobacco intaking ( 15 ). Combined, we infer that the superior frontal gyrus is the shared neurobiological substrate in tobacco addiction and overweight.…”

“…A recent study on smoking cessation suggested that repeated tobacco exposure could “hijack” natural reward circuitry by increasing the desire to obtain tobacco, and smoking cessation would restore striatal resting-state functional connectivity ( 13 , 14 ). Moreover, serious tobacco addiction could affect brain regional spontaneous activity in the higher functional cortex, such as the superior frontal gyrus and precentral gyrus ( 15 ). Combined, the reward circuit and executive control system play an important role in the development of tobacco addiction.…”

“…Growing evidence has suggested that both tobacco addiction and overweight have effect on reward circuit and executive control system ( 22 ). Brain functional studies have found altered brain activity in the prefrontal cortex in both the main effects of tobacco addiction (smokers vs. non-smokers) and the main effect of weight status (overweight vs. normal weight), demonstrating an additive effect of tobacco addiction and overweight ( 15 , 23 , 24 ). Moreover, Alice V. Ely's study demonstrated that BMI impacted activation in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in response to smoking cues, with significantly reduced response in overweight smokers compared with normal-weight smokers ( 1 ).…”

Insights into déjà vu: Associations between the frequency of experience and amplitudes of low‐frequency oscillations in resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging

“…Lastly, while the findings of the present study advance our neuroscientific understanding of the functional anatomy of déjà vu, further research is needed to explore other factors that might influence experiences of the phenomenon through their known effects on brain function. The present study did not attempt to match individuals reporting DV and those who did not on body mass index and cigarette smoking, for example, which have been shown to impact upon fractional amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation in several brain regions (Chao et al, 2018; Wen et al, 2021). Future research should examine the influence of such factors on the frequency of DV experience, thereby facilitating more accurate neuropsychological models of this phenomenon.…”

Abnormal resting‐state effective connectivity in reward network among long‐term male smokers

“…Continuously, the initial voluntary action could turn into a chronic, relapsing mental disorder characterized by compulsive tobacco seeking and smoking 8 . Such transition has been suggested that associated with a functional shift in subregions of striatum: Exaggerated responses of the ventral striatal reward system engaged in excessive substance using at an early stage, while dorsal part dominated after the formation of compulsive behaviours 9,10 . Although the VTA and striatum played an important role in describing the reaction‐related features of tobacco addiction, results from recent neuroimaging studies have implicated the additional brain regions, especially the prefrontal cortex (PFC) 10,11 .…”