Foundation-funded Study Finds Link Between Quitting Smoking and Depression
Foundation-funded Study Finds Link Between Quitting Smoking and Depression
Posted: August 12, 2011
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator, Jeffrey H. Meyer, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.C., 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.
