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- Title
GABA<sub>A</sub>-benzodiazepine receptor availability in smokers and nonsmokers: Relationship to subsyndromal anxiety and depression.
- Authors
Esterlis, Irina; Cosgrove, Kelly P.; Batis, Jeffery C.; Bois, Frederic; Kloczynski, Tracy A.; Stiklus, Stephanie M.; Perry, Edward; Tamagnan, Gilles D.; Seibyl, John P.; Makuch, Robert; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; O'Malley, Stephanie; Staley, Julie K.
- Abstract
Many smokers experience subsyndromal anxiety symptoms while smoking and during acute abstinence, which may contribute to relapse. We hypothesized that cortical gamma aminobutyric acidA-benzodiazepine receptor (GABAA-BZR) availability in smokers and nonsmokers might be related to the expression of subsyndromal anxiety, depressive, and pain symptoms. Cortical GABAA-BZRs were imaged in 15 smokers (8 men and 7 women), and 15 healthy age and sex-matched nonsmokers, and 4 abstinent tobacco smokers (3 men; 1 woman) using [123I]iomazenil and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured using the Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Index (STAI) and the Center for Epidemiology Scale for Depressive Symptoms (CES-D). The cold pressor task was administered to assess pain tolerance and sensitivity. The relationship between cortical GABAA-BZR availability, smoking status, and subsyndromal depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as pain tolerance and sensitivity, were evaluated. Surprisingly, there were no statistically significant differences in overall GABAA-BZR availability between smokers and nonsmokers or between active and abstinent smokers; however, cortical GABAA-BZR availability negatively correlated with subsyndromal state anxiety symptoms in nonsmokers but not in smokers. In nonsmokers, the correlation was seen across many brain areas with state anxiety [parietal ( r = −0.47, P = 0.03), frontal ( r = −0.46, P = 0.03), anterior cingulate ( r = −0.47, P = 0.04), temporal ( r = −0.47, P = 0.03), occipital ( r = −0.43, P = 0.05) cortices, and cerebellum ( r = −0.46, P = 0.04)], trait anxiety [parietal ( r = −0.72, P = 0.02), frontal ( r = −0.72, P = 0.02), and occipital ( r = −0.65, P = 0.04) cortices] and depressive symptoms [parietal ( r = −0.68; P = 0.02), frontal ( r = −0.65; P = 0.03), anterior cingulate ( r = −0.61; P = 0.04), and temporal ( r = −0.66; P = 0.02) cortices]. The finding that a similar relationship between GABAA-BZR availability and anxiety symptoms was not observed in smokers suggests that there is a difference in GABAA-BZR function, but not number, in smokers. Thus, while subsyndromal anxiety and depressive symptoms in nonsmokers may be determined in part by GABAA-BZR availability, smoking disrupts this relationship. Aberrant regulation of GABAA-BZR function in vulnerable smokers may explain why some smokers experience subsyndromal anxiety and depression. Synapse 63:1089-1099, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Publication
Synapse, 2009, Vol 63, Issue 12, p1089
- ISSN
0887-4476
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/syn.20688