Abnormal frontostriatal tracts in young male tobacco smokers

Abstract Dysfunctions in frontostriatal circuits have been associated with craving and cognitive control in smokers. However, the relevance of white matter (WM) diffusion properties of the ventral and dorsal frontostriatal tracts for behaviors associated with smoking remains relatively unknown, especially in young adulthood, a critical time period for the development and maintenance of addiction. Here, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and probabilistic tractography were used to investigate the WM tracts of the ventral and dorsal frontostriatal circuits in two independent studies (Study1: 36 male smokers (21.3 ± 1.3 years) vs. 35 male nonsmokers (21.2 ± 1.3 years); Study2: 29 male smokers (21.4 ± 1.1 years) vs. 25 male nonsmokers (21.0 ± 1.4 years)). Subjective craving was measured by the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU) and cognitive control ability was assessed with the Stroop task. In both studies, smokers committed more response errors than nonsmokers during the incongruent condition of the Stroop task. Relative to controls, smokers showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) and higher radial diffusivity in left medial orbitofrontal cortex-to-nucleus accumbens fiber tracts (ventral frontostriatal path) and also lower FA in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-to-caudate fiber tracts (dorsal frontostriatal path). The FA values of the right dorsal fibers were negatively correlated with incongruent response Stroop errors in smokers, whereas the mean diffusivity values of the left ventral fibers were positively correlated with craving in smokers. Thus, WM diffusion properties of the dorsal and ventral frontostriatal tracts were associated with cognitive control and craving, respectively, in young male tobacco smokers. These data highlight the importance of studying WM in relation to neuropsychological changes underlying smoking.