Success of anti-smoking programs measurable

Brain activity crucial Success of anti-smoking programs: chances of success of smoking cessation predictable.

28/02/2011

According to the US researchers, the chances of success of anti-smoking programs can already be estimated in advance on the basis of activity in specific brain regions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will help identify activity patterns in the brain before the program begins to determine how successful the withdrawal will be, according to Hannah Faye Chua and her colleagues from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, (USA) „Nature Neuroscience“.

Self-reflection is crucial for smoking cessation
In order to analyze the prospects of smoking cessation, the US researchers used their studies to examine the brain activity of 87 volunteers participating in a specially tailored anti-smoking program using MRI. Customized weaning programs, which take into account the special circumstances, needs, interests, personal problems and characteristics of the still-smoker, according to the experts are considered to be most promising. Self-reflection is encouraged with personalized messages, which, according to US researchers, is a key factor in the success of the specially adapted anti-smoking program. The scientists have now verified this thesis using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Because in the promising anti-smoking programs, which rely on a self-reflection of the participants, the corresponding brain regions should show more activities, so the assumption of the US researchers.

Activity patterns in the brain determine success
As an indicator for the self-reflection of study participants, the activity in the brain regions of the so-called prefrontal cortex, the precuneus and the cerebrum center, in the area of ​​the emotional center cingulate gyrus served, as these regions according to the US researchers from previous neurological studies as authoritative for self-reflection. For MRI imaging, US scientists focused on these areas of the brain, with MRI images showing brain activity based on changes in blood flow. The result: the more clearly the brain regions mentioned could be activated in the run-up to the anti-smoking programs, the higher was the likelihood that the smokers actually lost their vices after four months, report Hannah Faye Chua and colleagues. Based on the activity patterns in the brain, it can therefore be seen in advance how high the chances of a weaning are, according to the statement of the US researchers.

MRI records activity of smoker brains
As part of the study, the 87 volunteers completed a questionnaire in a first session, which included information on the health, personality and character traits of the smoking behavior of the study participants. In a subsequent second session, participants had to complete two sets of tasks - one for self-assessment and one with various appeals calling for quitting smoking. The appeals were both general messages and customized requests. While working on the tasks in the second session, the US scientists used MRI to take pictures of the brains of the study participants in order to record the activity patterns. Following the preliminary examinations, the subjects participated in a web-based individual anti-smoking program. After four months, the scientists examined how successful the smoking cessation of each participant was.

Activity increase in the brain extremely different
On the one hand, the US researchers discovered during the evaluation that the individually tailored messages actually activate the brain areas that also serve self-reflection. On the other hand, however, it was observed that not all study participants reacted equally to the individual messages. While some of the activity patterns in the self-assessing brain regions were weak, others showed a marked increase in activity on MRI scans. The subjects with the most significant increase in activity were also those who responded very well to the anti-smoking program. The probability that they were still non-smokers after four months was much higher than for the other subjects, the US researchers said. On the basis of the results now published, the processes in the brain of smokers can be better understood in the future and develop even more successful smoking cessation programs, so the hope of the US scientists. (Fp)

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With hypnosis for the nonsmoker

Picture credits: Martin Büdenbender