Foundation-funded Study Finds Link Between Quitting Smoking and Depression
August 12, 2011
Dr. Meyer
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator, Jeffrey H. Meyer, MD, PhD, FRCPC, and Colleagues, using an advanced brain imaging method, found levels of mood-enhancing brain protein MAO-A rose significantly post-withdrawal from smoking.
When cigarette ingredient harman is burned, it attaches to MAO-A, which eats serotonin, the "feel-good" neurotransmitter. This finding explains why heavy smokers are vulnerable to clinical depression.
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