Biological Basis for the Co-morbidity Between Smoking and Mood Disorders
- 4 May 2009
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Journal of Dual Diagnosis
- Vol. 5 (2), 122-130
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15504260902869964
Abstract
Nicotine dependence is still the major preventable cause of death in the developed world, and has strong comorbity with mood disorders including major depression. Depressed patients are more likely to smoke cigarettes, and quitting can precipitate an episode of depression in some subjects. Interestingly, antidepressants, particularly the atypical antidepressant buproprion, are therapeutics that can help smokers quit. Despite these observations, the underlying biological factors of the relationship between smoking and depression remain unclear. Results from clinical and pre-clinical studies have seemed somewhat paradoxical because heightened cholinergic activity can induce depression while both nicotine and nicotinic antagonists can be antidepressant-like. These observations can be reconciled by considering that high affinity nicotinic receptors in the brain can be desensitized by chronic nicotine use, leading to blunted cholinergic activity. Based on this hypothesis, nicotinic antagonists have recently been tested as treatments for depression in human subjects, particularly as adjunct therapy along with classical antidepressants. These data suggest that the relationship between smoking and depression may be partially explained by the fact that depressed patients smoke in an effort to self-medicate depressive symptoms by desensitizing their nicotinic receptors. This possibility suggests new avenues for treatment of both nicotine dependence and depressive disorders.Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Antidepressant-like effects of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists, but not agonists, in the mouse forced swim and mouse tail suspension testsJournal of Psychopharmacology, 2008
- Cytisine, a partial agonist of high-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, has antidepressant-like properties in male C57BL/6J miceNeuropharmacology, 2007
- Brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: native subtypes and their relevanceTrends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2006
- Co‐Morbidity of Smoking in Patients with Psychiatric and Substance Use DisordersThe American Journal on Addictions, 2005
- Nicotine and nicotinic receptor antagonists potentiate the antidepressant-like effects of imipramine and citalopramBritish Journal of Pharmacology, 2003
- Nicotine, Brain Nicotinic Receptors, and Neuropsychiatric DisordersArchives of Medical Research, 2000
- Smoking, nicotine and psychiatric disorders: evidence for therapeutic role, controversies and implications for future researchMedical Hypotheses, 1999
- Depression and smoking cessation: Characteristics of depressed smokers and effects of nicotine replacement.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1996
- Depression and smoking cessation: Characteristics of depressed smokers and effects of nicotine replacement.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1996
- A CHOLINERGIC-ADRENERGIC HYPOTHESIS OF MANIA AND DEPRESSIONThe Lancet, 1972