Effects of smoking and smoking abstinence on cognition in adolescent tobacco smokers

摘要: Background In adult animals and humans, nicotine can produce short-term cognitive enhancement and, in some cases, neuroprotection. Recent work animals, however, suggests that exposure to during adolescence might be neurotoxic. We tested for evidence of acute chronic effects tobacco smoking on cognition adolescents who smoked daily were compared with adolescent nonsmokers. Methods Verbal working memory, verbal learning selective, divided, sustained attention, mood, symptoms withdrawal, craving examined 41 smokers 32 nonsmokers similar age, gender, education. Analyses controlled general intelligence, reading achievement, parental educational attainment, baseline affective symptoms, lifetime alcohol cannabis. Results smokers, cessation use increased craving, depressed mood. Adolescent found have impairments accuracy memory performance irrespective recency smoking. Performance decrements more severe earlier age onset experienced further disruption cessation. As a group, male initiated at an than female significantly impaired tests selective divided attention Conclusions experience after cessation, along are consistent preclinical neurotoxic when occurs periods development.