Altered spontaneous activity in young chronic cigarette smokers revealed by regional homogeneity.
BACKGROUND
Few studies have been previously published about the resting state brain activity in young chronic smokers, although many previous fMRI studies have shown that the task-related activity pattern is altered in chronic smokers.


METHODS
In the present study, forty-five healthy smokers (age: 27.9 ± 5.6 year) and forty-four healthy non-smoking control subjects (age: 26.3 ± 5.8 year) have been imaged with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and analyzed with the regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy controls, decreased ReHo was found in smokers in the right inferior frontal cortex and increased ReHo was found in the left superior parietal lobe (P < 0.01, 35 Voxels,Alphasim corrected).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggested that, during resting state, neural function is less synchronized in the right inferior frontal cortex and more synchronized in the left superior parietal lobe in chronic smokers compared to non-smokers. The decreased synchronization in the right inferior frontal cortex may reflect lacking of control over reward-related behavior, and the increased synchronization may reflect smoking urges.
The Institute of Mental Health, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan 410011, People's Republic of China.
Jinsong
J
Tang
Yanhui
Y
Liao
Qijian
Q
Deng
Tieqiao
T
Liu
Xiaogang
X
Chen
Xuyi
X
Wang
Xiaojun
X
Xiang
Hongxian
H
Chen
Wei
W
Hao
D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D062789:Tobacco Products