Background
Schizophrenia is associated with very high rates of tobacco smoking. The latter may
be related to an attempt to self-medicate symptoms and/or to alterations in function
of high-affinity β2-subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (β2*-nAChRs).
Methods
Smoking and nonsmoking subjects with schizophrenia (n = 31) and age-, smoking-, and sex-matched comparison subjects (n = 31) participated in one [123I]5-IA-85380 single photon emission computed tomography scan to quantify β2*-nAChR availability. Psychiatric, cognitive, nicotine craving, and mood assessments
were obtained during active smoking, as well as smoking abstinence.
Results
There were no differences in smoking characteristics between smokers with and without
schizophrenia. Subjects with schizophrenia had lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to comparison group, and nonsmokers had lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to smokers. However, there was no smoking by diagnosis
interaction. Relative to nonsmokers with schizophrenia, smokers with schizophrenia
had higher β2*-nAChR availability in limited brain regions. In smokers with schizophrenia, higher
β2*-nAChR availability was associated with lower negative symptoms of schizophrenia
and better performance on tests of executive control. Chronic exposure to antipsychotic
drugs was not associated with changes in β2*-nAChR availability in schizophrenia.
Conclusions
Although subjects with schizophrenia have lower β2*-nAChR availability relative to comparison group, smokers with schizophrenia appear
to upregulate in the cortical regions. Lower receptor availability in smokers with
schizophrenia in the cortical regions is associated with a greater number of negative
symptoms and worse performance on tests of executive function, suggesting smoking
subjects with schizophrenia who upregulate to a lesser degree may be at risk for poorer
outcomes.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 18, 2013
Accepted:
November 4,
2013
Received in revised form:
October 16,
2013
Received:
April 10,
2013
Identification
Copyright
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