A study published in the journal “Nature Communications” reveals that a reduced level of gray matter in two areas of the brain may be related to the desire to start smoking during adolescence and the strengthening of nicotine addiction.
A group of scientists from the Cambridge and Warwick universitiesin the UK, and the fudan universityin China, analyzed brain imaging and behavioral data from more than 800 young people at the ages of 14, 19 and 23 years.
The study found that, on average, adolescents who started smoking at age 14 or earlier had significantly less gray matter in a section of the left frontal lobe associated with decision making and rule breaking.
Gray matter is the brain tissue that processes information and contains all neurons of the organ. Although brain development continues into adulthood, gray matter growth peaks before adolescence.
The researchers suggest that the reduced volume of gray matter on the left side of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex could be a “heritable biomarker” for nicotine addictionsomething that has implications for prevention and treatment.