Insula-specific 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy reactions in heavy smokers under acute nicotine withdrawal and after oral nicotine substitution

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify whether addiction-specific neurometabolic reaction patterns occur in the insular cortex during acute nicotine withdrawal in tobacco smokers in comparison to nonsmokers. Fourteen male smokers and 10 male nonsmokers were included. Neurometabolites of the right and the left insular cortices were quantified by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) on a 3-Tesla scanner. Three separate MRS measurements were performed in each subject: among the smokers, the first measurement was done during normal smoking Show more