OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to study presynaptic dopamine activity in smoking and nonsmoking human subjects in vivo. METHOD: [(18)F]Fluorodopa ([(18)F]DOPA) uptake K(i) values in the basal ganglia of nine smoking and 10 nonsmoking healthy men were measured with positron emission tomography. RESULTS: Significantly higher [(18)F]DOPA uptake was observed in both the putamen (average 17.3% higher) and the caudate (average 30.4% higher) of smokers than in those of nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is related to greater dopamine activity in the human basal ganglia. Nicotine-induced dopamine activity may be a relevant mechanism in dependence on cigarette smoking.
OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to study presynaptic dopamine activity in smoking and nonsmoking human subjects in vivo. METHOD:[(18)F]Fluorodopa ([(18)F]DOPA) uptake K(i) values in the basal ganglia of nine smoking and 10 nonsmoking healthy men were measured with positron emission tomography. RESULTS: Significantly higher [(18)F]DOPA uptake was observed in both the putamen (average 17.3% higher) and the caudate (average 30.4% higher) of smokers than in those of nonsmokers. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is related to greater dopamine activity in the human basal ganglia. Nicotine-induced dopamine activity may be a relevant mechanism in dependence on cigarette smoking.
Authors: A George Wilson; Christopher T Franck; E Terry Mueller; Reid D Landes; Benjamin P Kowal; Richard Yi; Warren K Bickel Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2015-01-22 Impact factor: 3.913