Assessment of the effect of cigarette smoking on regional brain volumes and lesion load in patients with clinically isolated syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Smoking has been associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis, disease progression and clinical disability. We detected the effects of smoking on regional brain volumes and lesion load in patients with clinically isolated syndrome using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging.


METHODS
Smoker patients (n = 16), smoker healthy controls (n = 13), non-smoker patients (n = 17) and non-smoker healthy controls (n = 14) underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neocortical volumes were measured. Lesion load was calculated in terms of number and volume of white matter hyperintensities.


RESULTS
Smoking was associated with increased gray matter volumes in several regions of the brain. A tendency towards greater lesion load in smoker patients was found. Smoking duration was significantly negatively correlated with intracranial volume and left hemisphere cortical gray matter volume. There was no relationship between regional brain volumes and clinical disability scores, lesion load duration of the disease and degree of smoking exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinically isolated syndrome related regional brain atrophy might vary in extent and severity with smoking. Despite increased lesion load, less cortical and deep gray matter damage with a possible neuroprotective effect occurs in smoking.
a 1 Department of Radiology, Ministry of Health Ankara Training and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Gamze
G
Durhan
b 2 Department of Neurology , Hacettepe University Medical School , Ankara , Turkey.
Sevda
S
Diker
c 3 National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) , Bilkent University , Ankara , Turkey.
Arzu Ceylan
AC
Has
d 4 Department of Biostatistics , Hacettepe University , Ankara , Turkey.
Jale
J
Karakaya
b 2 Department of Neurology , Hacettepe University Medical School , Ankara , Turkey.
Asli Tuncer
AT
Kurne
b 2 Department of Neurology , Hacettepe University Medical School , Ankara , Turkey.
Rana
R
Karabudak
c 3 National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM) , Bilkent University , Ankara , Turkey.|e 5 Department of Radiology , Hacettepe University Medical School , Ankara , Turkey.
Kader K
KK
Oguz
D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
brain volume; cigarette smoking; clinically isolated syndrome