Dg. Gilbert, DEPRESSION, SMOKING, AND NICOTINE - TOWARD A BIOINFORMATIONAL SITUATION BY TRAIT MODEL, Drug development research, 38(3-4), 1996, pp. 267-277
Associations of psychological depression and negative affect with smok
ing are well established but need further explanation. Evidence suppor
ts the view that neuroticism is an important psychological variable me
diating the relationship of genes, depression, and smoking. Both neuro
ticism and depression are associated with decreased left-frontal and/o
r increased right-frontal cortical activation and information processi
ng that predispose individuals to negative affect, negative associativ
e processes, withdrawal, and passive coping. In such individuals, nico
tine appears to normalize frontal cortical activation asymmetries, and
to have antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Mechanisms that may me
diate the antidepressant effects of nicotine and the association of sm
oking with depression are reviewed and discussed within a bioinformati
onal situation by trait model. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.