Stronger Brain Networks May Help Smokers Quit, New study shows

Have you ever wondered why some people who try to quit smoking succeed, while others can’t seem to kick the habit?

A new study suggests some hopeful quitters are better equipped mentally to handle the challenge.

Research published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology shows that good coordination between the insula and the somatosensory cortex was present in the brains of those who had successfully given up cigarettes.

The team from Duke Medicine looked at the MRI scans of 85 people before they tried to stop smoking and tracked their progress for the following 10 weeks.

The 44 people who had successfully kicked the habit had greater coordination between these two areas of the brain, which are responsible for controlling cravings and motor control respectively.

‘The insula is sending messages to other parts of the brain that then make the decision to pick up a cigarette or not,’ explained Dr Merideth Addicott, assistant professor at Duke and the lead author of the study.

Joseph McClernon, associate professor at Duke and the study’s senior author, added: ‘If we can increase connectivity in smokers to look more like those who quit successfully, that would be a place to start.

‘We also need more research to understand what it is exactly about greater connectivity between these regions that increases the odds of success.’

Agencies/Canadajournal