Smoking Cessation After Brain Damage Does Not Lead to Increased Depression: Implications for Understanding the Psychiatric Complications of Varenicline

Daniel Tranel; Ashton McNutt; Antoine Bechara

doi:10.1097/WNN.0b013e3182492a9c

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Smoking Cessation After Brain Damage Does Not Lead to Increased Depression: Implications for Understanding the Psychiatric Complications of Varenicline

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Smoking Cessation After Brain Damage Does Not Lead to Increased Depression: Implications for Understanding the Psychiatric Complications of Varenicline

Daniel Tranel, Ashton McNutt and Antoine Bechara

Cognitive and behavioral neurology, Vol.25(1), pp.16-24

03/2012

DOI: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e3182492a9c

PMCID: PMC3299864

PMID: 22330182

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3299864View

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Abstract

Background: There are concerns that varenicline (Chantix/Champix), a prescription medication used to treat smoking addiction, might cause serious neuropsychiatric side effects, such as depression, self-injurious behavior, and suicide. However, the cause of depression and related symptoms in persons who quit smoking after taking varenicline remains uncertain, because smoking cessation itself can cause such symptoms. Method: We studied 70 patients with brain lesions: 32 had stopped smoking after suffering their lesion (Quitters) and 38 had kept smoking (Non-Quitters). Results: There was no indication of increased depression in the Quitters compared with the Non-Quitters. The 2 groups, which were statistically indistinguishable on demographic and neuropsychological variables, showed the same rates and levels of severity of depression and related symptoms. Moreover, in a subgroup of 16 Quitters who had stopped smoking immediately after their neurological injury in the context of losing their craving to smoke, rates of depression-related symptoms were no higher than in the other Quitters and the Non-Quitters. Conclusions: Smoking cessation did not lead to elevated levels of depression in patients with brain lesions, suggesting that psychiatric complications (particularly depression) observed after varenicline use are caused by the medication rather than the smoking cessation itself.

varenicline

depression

brain damage

smoking cessation

nicotine withdrawal

Details

Title: Subtitle: Smoking Cessation After Brain Damage Does Not Lead to Increased Depression: Implications for Understanding the Psychiatric Complications of Varenicline
Creators: Daniel Tranel - Clinical Research Division Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal. QC, Canada
Ashton McNutt - Clinical Research Division Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal. QC, Canada
Antoine Bechara - Clinical Research Division Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal. QC, Canada
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Cognitive and behavioral neurology, Vol.25(1), pp.16-24
DOI: 10.1097/WNN.0b013e3182492a9c
PMID: 22330182
PMCID: PMC3299864
NLM abbreviation: Cogn Behav Neurol
ISSN: 1543-3633
eISSN: 1543-3641
Grant note: R01 DA023051-02 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA022549-02 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R21 DA016708-02 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA P01 NS019632-17 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P50 NS019632-28 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS R01 DA022549-03 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA P01 NS019632-18 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P50 NS019632-27 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-23 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-19 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-20S1 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P50 NS019632-26 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-22 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-19S1 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS R01 DA023051-04 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA P50 NS019632-25 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-21 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS R01 DA022549-05 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA023051-05 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA023051-01A2 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA P01 NS019632-24A1 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS P01 NS019632-20 || NS / National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke : NINDS R01 DA022549-04S1 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA023051-03 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA022549-01 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA R01 DA022549-04 || DA / National Institute on Drug Abuse : NIDA
Language: English
Date published: 03/2012
Academic Unit: Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984002424502771

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