Hemispheric side of damage influences sex-related differences in smoking cessation in neurological patients

Natassia Gaznick; Antoine Bechara; Daniel Tranel

doi:10.1080/13803395.2014.915012

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Hemispheric side of damage influences sex-related differences in smoking cessation in neurological patients

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Hemispheric side of damage influences sex-related differences in smoking cessation in neurological patients

Natassia Gaznick, Antoine Bechara and Daniel Tranel

Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, Vol.36(5), pp.551-558

05/28/2014

DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2014.915012

PMCID: PMC4052374

PMID: 24872115

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/4052374View

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Abstract

Patterns of smoking behavior vary between the sexes. There is evidence that decision making, which is one of the key "executive functions" necessary for making life-style modifications such as smoking cessation, is relatively lateralized to the right hemisphere in males and left hemisphere in females. In the current study, we examined whether the side of brain lesion has a differential effect on smoking behavior between the sexes. We hypothesized sex differences in smoking cessation based on lesion side. Participants were 49 males and 50 females who were smoking at the time of lesion onset. The outcome variable was abstinence from smoking (quit rate) at least one year post lesion. We found that in patients with left-hemisphere damage, quit rates were significantly higher in males than in females; however, in patients with right-hemisphere damage, quit rates were not statistically different. The findings support previous cognitive neuroscience literature showing that components of behavior responsible for maintaining addiction tend to be more strongly lateralized in males, whereas in females there is a more bilateral distribution. Our study provides further evidence for differences in lateralization of complex behavior between the sexes, which has significant implications for differences in treatment strategies between the sexes.

Smoking cessation

Drug abuse

Gender differences

Addiction

Behavior lateralization

Details

Title: Subtitle: Hemispheric side of damage influences sex-related differences in smoking cessation in neurological patients
Creators: Natassia Gaznick - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Tranel Lab, University of Iowa
Antoine Bechara - Brain and Creativity Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Southern California
Daniel Tranel - Department of Psychology, University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, Vol.36(5), pp.551-558
DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2014.915012
PMID: 24872115
PMCID: PMC4052374
NLM abbreviation: J Clin Exp Neuropsychol
ISSN: 1380-3395
eISSN: 1744-411X
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Language: English
Date published: 05/28/2014
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984002355702771

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