The Impact of Traditional Cigarettes and E-Cigarettes on the Brain

Abstract Currently, nicotine is self-administered via several different product forms. The most common traditional means is as cigarettes; the latest means of nicotine transference is through electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). The introduction of e-cigarette in the market should have helped smokers stop smoking, but recent data suggest that “vaping” (e-cigarette utilization) may lead to nicotine addiction and an increased risk of traditional tobacco smoking in later life. There are numerous data about the impact of nicotine on the human brain through traditional intake, while the knowledge about e-cigarette action is limited. Imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging are used to assess the changes of brain structure and function caused by nicotine use and its withdrawal. The results of such studies have shown that tobacco smoking and vaping lead to a reduction of volume of the thalamus and frontal cortex and alterations in the function of the thalamus, insula, striatum, and frontal cortex. Recent histological study also suggests that both smoking and vaping modify the occupancy of the nicotinic cholinergic receptors and alters the function of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine neurotransmission. Moreover, animal-based studies indicate neurodegeneration and alterations in the brain development in the offspring of mothers who are either tobacco smokers or “vapers” (e-cigarette users) or who are exposed to smoke or aerosol. In our review, we point out that the consumption of nicotine significantly disrupts brain structure and function and that using a modern nicotine delivery device such as the e-cigarette does not decrease these harmful effects.