title: Anterior cingulum white matter is altered in tobacco smokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is hypothesized to be involved in decision making and emotion regulation. Previous observations of drug dependent individuals indicate that substance dependence may be associated with cingulum white matter abnormalities. The present study evaluated cingulum white matter in cigarette smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in adult tobacco smokers and healthy non-smoker controls (total N = 70) was performed in a 3T Siemens Trio MRI scanner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses of DTI tractography of the cingulum in tobacco-smoking individuals and controls indicated that tobacco abusers have significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right cingulum. In addition, FA in the left cingulum white matter was negatively associated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence, a self-report measure of tobacco dependence severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The white matter of the cingulum is altered in a non-symmetrical way in tobacco smokers. An inverse relationship between FA and reported number of cigarettes per day was observed. Previous studies have also noted altered neural connectivity in cigarette smokers using similar methods. Similar white matter differences in the cingulum have been observed in methamphetamine dependent individuals and patients with dementia, which suggests that the cingulum may be altered by mechanisms not specific to tobacco exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By better understanding the effects of tobacco abuse on the brain, we hope to gain insight into how drug dependence influences the neurological foundations of behavior.
authors.affiliation: Rice University, Houston, Texas.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Selina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baeza-Loya
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Kenia Marisela
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Velasquez
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: David Lucas
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Molfese
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Humsini
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viswanath
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Kaylah Nicole
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Daisy Gemma Yan
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Thompson-Lake
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Philip Rupert
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Timothy Michael
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Ellmore
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De La Garza
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.|Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000473:pathology; D066127:White Matter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult