Smoking, Drinking Causes Brain Injury

[lillywilliam]

Chronic smoking and drinking causes both separate and interactive neurobiological and functional injuries to the brain, bad news for alcoholics, because a vast majority of them are chronic smokers as well.

"Recent neuroimaging studies of chronic smokers have shown brain structural and blood-flow abnormalities," "Specific cognitive dysfunction among active chronic smokers has been reported for auditory-verbal learning and memory, prospective memory, working memory, executive functions, visual search speeds, psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility, general intellectual abilities, and balance.

"We also believe that the adverse effects of smoking, just like drinking, likely take many years to impact brain function significantly, and interact with age to produce a level of dysfunction that is apparent on cognitive tests."

"Any behavioral manifestation, including alcoholism or addiction to nicotine, is a result of genetic-environment interactions," "Drugs, including alcohol and nicotine, may affect different individuals differently, depending on their genetic make-up. Similarly, drug-drug interactions are also influenced by genetic factors.

"Therefore, co-morbidity of drinking and smoking can be considered to be a final outcome of genetics, environment, and pharmacological interactions between alcohol and nicotine."


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[Miia]

Specific cognitive dysfunction among active chronic smokers has been reported for auditory-verbal learning and memory, prospective memory, working memory, executive functions, visual search speeds, psychomotor speed and cognitive flexibility, general intellectual abilities, and balance.

That`s interesting... didn`t know that before. Many smokers I know (including my exself) think that smoking helps them to concentrate and enhances their mental activity but that`s just becaouse they`re addicted and can`t do ANY work(well actually they can but they don`t know it) without getting the next fix first.

Thanks for sharing this.

[aelle]

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