Quitting smoking: tension makes it easier to quit

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MunichQuitting smoking is not an easy thing. The nicotine addiction has dug its way too deep into the brain. A simple strategy could make it easier to say goodbye to the glowing stick: Those who specifically tackle activities that are new, exciting and exciting can get their craving for nicotine better under control. The reason: Such experiences stimulate the reward center in the brain particularly strongly - the place where nicotine also unfolds its effects.

For their experiment, Arthur Aron and his colleagues from Stony Brook University won 20 couples who had been in a relationship for at least two years. At least one of the partners had smoked for at least eight years.

Addicting games

After eight hours of abstinence from nicotine, the couples competed together to solve a playful task. To do this, they had to determine the position of the bird's feathers at the push of a button from a sequence of four images showing everyday objects such as toothbrushes, pens, cigarettes or feathers. Every correct click earned a point; if both partners were correct, this was paid into an additional couple's account.

In half of the game rounds, the participants were also shown pictures of cigarettes. In addition, the game rounds differed in the speed and novelty value of the images as well as in the number of feathers that had to be identified in each image sequence. The researchers rated faster game rounds with changing motifs and more feather illustrations as more demanding and therefore more exciting.

Since the participants were in a magnetic resonance imaging scanner while they were playing, the scientists were able to analyze how strongly the various brain centers were activated. In addition, after the rounds, the players made statements about their mood.

New strategy against addiction

The result: In fact, the brain scans confirmed that the exciting activities stimulated the reward center in the brain. More importantly, they also reduced the activity in a certain brain region (temporoparietal junction), in which, according to previous studies, symptoms of nicotine withdrawal are manifested. "It seems that exciting activities are an important new strategy for curbing the craving for cigarettes," says study leader Aron. It works because the exciting activities - like nicotine - activate the reward center in the brain. So they could be a substitute for nicotine stimulation.

The researchers also believe that joint activities with a loved one will increase this effect. Previous studies had shown that people newly in love suffer less from nicotine withdrawal. (cf)

Source: Xiaomeng Xu, Arthur Aron et al .: An fMRI Study of Nicotine-Deprived Smokers "Reactivity to Smoking Cues during Novel / Exciting Activity. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9: e94598 DOI: 10.1371 / journal.pone.0094598

Tags:  unfulfilled wish to have children symptoms diet