Research spurs new views of nicotine, ACP Observer Feb 97
...... But researchers continue to uncover new information about the nature of nicotine's bonds to the human brain. For example, they have been able to substantiate some of the claims made by smokers. "Smoking decreases anxiety," explained Joanna Fowler, PhD, a senior chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. "Some people think it improves cognition."
But as she is quick to add, "The problem is, the smoke contains carbon monoxide and carcinogens." [Vapor does not]. Within hours of quitting, for example, smokers commonly experience powerful withdrawal symptoms that include anxiety, anger, difficulty concentrating, insomnia and irritability. Researchers have traced a vast network of reactions that include an increase in the expression of nicotine receptors in the brain, changes in the way the brain metabolizes glucose, changes in the brain's electroencephalographic patterns and changes in the level of neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Some surprises
Despite the clear health risks that smoking poses [but vaping does not], the effects of nicotine itself on the brain may not be all bad. Young people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), for example, a condition marked by difficulty in concentration, find some relief from smoking and tend to smoke twice as much as other people. "It's a known experimental finding that nicotine helps people focus," explained Eric C. Westman, ACP Member, an internist and medical director of the Nicotine Research Program at Duke University and Durham Veteran's Administration Medical Center. "It is assumed that nicotine helps people with ADHD."
...... But researchers continue to uncover new information about the nature of nicotine's bonds to the human brain. For example, they have been able to substantiate some of the claims made by smokers. "Smoking decreases anxiety," explained Joanna Fowler, PhD, a senior chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. "Some people think it improves cognition."
But as she is quick to add, "The problem is, the smoke contains carbon monoxide and carcinogens." [Vapor does not]. Within hours of quitting, for example, smokers commonly experience powerful withdrawal symptoms that include anxiety, anger, difficulty concentrating, insomnia and irritability. Researchers have traced a vast network of reactions that include an increase in the expression of nicotine receptors in the brain, changes in the way the brain metabolizes glucose, changes in the brain's electroencephalographic patterns and changes in the level of neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Some surprises
Despite the clear health risks that smoking poses [but vaping does not], the effects of nicotine itself on the brain may not be all bad. Young people with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), for example, a condition marked by difficulty in concentration, find some relief from smoking and tend to smoke twice as much as other people. "It's a known experimental finding that nicotine helps people focus," explained Eric C. Westman, ACP Member, an internist and medical director of the Nicotine Research Program at Duke University and Durham Veteran's Administration Medical Center. "It is assumed that nicotine helps people with ADHD."
