title: Where there's smoke, there's fire: the brain reactivity of chronic smokers when exposed to the negative value of smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The addictive nature of smoking is characterized by responses to cigarette stimuli that significantly impede smoking cessation efforts. Studies have shown that smokers are roused by appetitive smoking-related stimuli, and their consumption tends to be unaffected by the negative value of smoking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the goal of this study was two-fold: to examine the brain reactivity of chronic smokers when processing the negative value of smoking using aversive smoking-related cues; to further characterize this response by comparing the latter to the processing of aversive nonsmoking-related and appetitive smoking-related cues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty chronic smokers passively viewed aversive smoking-related, aversive nonsmoking-related, appetitive smoking-related and neutral images presented in a block design while being scanned.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aversive smoking-related stimuli elicited significantly greater activation in the medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, inferior frontal gyrus and lateral orbitofrontal cortex than neutral stimuli. Aversive smoking-related stimuli elicited lower activation in the parahippocampal gyrus, insula and inferior frontal gyrus compared to the aversive nonsmoking-related condition, as well as lower activation in the posterior cingulate, precuneus and medial prefrontal cortices compared to appetitive smoking-related cues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The brain activation pattern observed suggests that chronic smokers experience an aversive response when processing aversive smoking-related stimuli, however we argue that the latter triggers a weaker negative emotional and driving response than the aversive non-smoking-related and appetitive smoking-related cues respectively. These fMRI results highlight potentially important processes underlying the insensitivity to the negative value of smoking, an important characteristic of addiction.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, Institut Universitaire de Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dinh-Williams
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, Institut Universitaire de Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, Bishop's University, Sherbrooke, Canada.
authors.forename: Adrianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendrek
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, Institut Universitaire de Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Josiane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bourque
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche Fernand-Seguin, Institut Universitaire de Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: stephane.potvin@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Potvin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Addiction; Anti-smoking; Aversion; Craving; Neuroimaging; Tobacco