Addicted with the first cigarette

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The latest research from the University of Western Ontario reveals how the brain processes the 'rewarding' and addictive properties, proposing a better understanding of how some people seem to be addicted with the first smoke.

The research led by Steven Laviolette of the Department of Anatomy and Cell biology a the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, could result in new therapies to treat and prevent nicotine dependence and withdrawal when attempting to quit. The findings shall be published in the August 6th Journal of Neuroscience.

"Nicotine interacts with a variety of neurochemical pathways within the brain to produce its rewarding and addictive effects," explains Laviolette. "However, during the early phase of tobacco exposure, many individuals find nicotine highly unpleasant and aversive, whereas others may become rapidly dependent on nicotine and find it highly rewarding. We wanted to explore that difference."

It was found that one particular pathway in the brain uses the neurotransmitter 'dopamine' to transmit signals relate to nicotine's rewarding properties. This pathway is called the 'mesolimbic' dopamine system and is involved in the addictive properties of many drugs of abuse, including cocaine, alcohol and nicotine.

"While much progress has been made in understanding how the brain processes the rewarding effects of nicotine after the dependence is established, very little is known about how the mesolimbic dopamine system may control the initial vulnerability to nicotine; that is, why do some individuals become quickly addicted to nicotine while others do not, and in some cases, even find nicotine to be highly aversive."

The scientists were able to identify which specific dopamine receptor subtype controlled the brain's initial sensitivity to nicotine's rewarding and addictive properties and then manipulated these receptors to control whether the nicotine is processed as rewarding or aversive.

"Importantly, our findings may explain an individual's vulnerability to nicotine addiction, and may point to new pharmacological treatments for the prevention of it, and the treatment of nicotine withdrawal," says Laviolette. The research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation.

This intelligent and interesting study is certainly going to aid therapy and treatment for nicotine dependency and withdrawal.