Could Smoking Alter the Physical Structure of the Teen Brain?

A recent study shows that the structure of the teenage brain may be altered by smoking early in life. 

According to researchers from UCLA and the David Geffen School of Medicine in Los Angeles, they found that tobacco damaged or killed brain cells in adolescent animals.

For the study, a total of 42 participants aged 16 to 21 had their brains mapped by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of the subjects participating in the study, 18 were smokers, consuming an average of six or seven cigarettes a day with most having a history of smoking beginning at the age of 15.

All of the participants were also asked to discuss their cravings involving nicotine. Results showed that the right insula, a region of the cerebral cortex that's associated with decision making, was thinner in those who smoked when compared to non-smokers. This area contains the greatest number of nicotine receptors for any region. Findings showed that similar changes were seen in participants who reported severe cravings and feelings of dependence.  

Researchers said they believe that those who start tobacco use early in life may be at a greater risk to stop smoking, due to the possible alteration of brain structure and behavior that's different in heavy smokers who took lower quantities of the drug.

"Although the results do not demonstrate causation, they do suggest that there are effects of cigarette exposure on brain structure in young smokers, with a relatively short smoking history. It is possible that changes in the brain due to prolonged exposure or to the progression of dependence lead to more extensive structural changes, manifested in the reported group differences between adult smokers and nonsmokers," the researchers wrote in the article announcing the results.

Even though the sample size was small, the researchers said they believe the results call for additional studies. 

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.