Progressive Levels of Physical Dependence to Tobacco Coincide with Changes in the Anterior Cingulum Bundle Microstructure

Abstract

BackgroundThe tobacco withdrawal syndrome indicates the development of neurophysiologic dependence. Clinical evidence indicates that neurophysiologic dependence develops through a set sequence of symptom presentation that can be assessed with a new 3-item survey measure of wanting, craving, and needing tobacco, the Level of Physical Dependence (PD). This study sought to determine if advancing neurophysiologic dependence as measured by the Level of PD correlates with characteristics of white matter structure measured by Fractional Anisotropy (FA).MethodsDiffusion-MRI based FA and diffusion tensor imaging probabilistic tractography were used to evaluate 11 smokers and 10 nonsmokers. FA was also examined in relation to two additional measures of dependence severity, the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC), and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND).ResultsAmong smokers, FA in the left anterior cingulate bundle (ACb) correlated negatively with the Level of PD (r = −0.68, p = 0.02) and HONC scores (r = −0.65, p = 0.03), but the correlation for the FTND did not reach statistical significance (r = −49, p = 0.12). With advancing Levels of PD, the density of streamlines between the ACb and precuneus increased (r = −0.67, p<0.05) and those between the ACb and white matter projecting to the superior-frontal cortex (r = −0.86, p = 0.0006) decreased significantly.ConclusionsThe correlations between neural structure and both the clinical Level of PD survey measure and the HONC suggest that the Level of PD and the HONC may reflect the microstructural integrity of white matter, as influenced by tobacco abuse. Given that the Level of PD is measuring a sequence of symptoms of neurophysiologic dependence that develops over time, the correlation between the Level of PD and neural structure suggests that these features might represent neuroplastic changes that develop over time to support the development of neurophysiologic dependence.

White matter development and tobacco smoking in young adults: A systematic review with recommendations for future research

“…Huang et al (2013) compared diffusion data between 11 young adult smokers and 10 young adult non-smokers between the ages of 18–39 years and with mean(SD) ages of 23.7(1.98) years and 22.5(6.78) years, respectively. Preprocessing, calculation of FA and group-level statistics (tract-based spatial statistics; TBSS) were conducted in FSL.…”

Nicotine and Tobacco as Substances of Abuse in Children and Adolescents

“…Smokers have been found to have differences in the microstructural order in white matter areas of the brain, specifically the anterior cingulate bundle. 29 Studies also have found that smokers reporting more subjective symptoms of dependence, by using standardized measures, had a decreased density of neural connections, or streamlines, between the anterior cingulate bundle and the precuneus and increased connections between the anterior cingulate bundle and the superior-frontal cortex. These areas of the brain and specific circuits are those correlated with memory, motivation, executive function, and mood.…”

Smoking Cessation in Adolescents: targeted approaches that work

“…This progression of physical dependence correlates with evolving changes in the structural organisation of white matter [55][56][57] The development of physical dependence on nicotine as evidenced by withdrawal-induced craving, has been well-documented in novice smokers [39,44,58,59]. Early symptoms of addiction are reported by a third of youth who have smoked 3 or 4 cigarettes, and in about 95% of those who have smoked 100 or more cigarettes [44].…”