PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

Abnormal white matter integrity in the corpus callosum among smokers: tract-based spatial statistics.

  • Wakako Umene-Nakano,
  • Reiji Yoshimura,
  • Shingo Kakeda,
  • Keita Watanabe,
  • Kenji Hayashi,
  • Joji Nishimura,
  • Hidehiko Takahashi,
  • Junji Moriya,
  • Satoru Ide,
  • Issei Ueda,
  • Hikaru Hori,
  • Atsuko Ikenouchi-Sugita,
  • Asuka Katsuki,
  • Kiyokazu Atake,
  • Osamu Abe,
  • Yukunori Korogi,
  • Jun Nakamura

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087890
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 2
p. e87890

Abstract

Read online

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the difference in white matter between smokers and nonsmokers. In addition, we examined relationships between white matter integrity and nicotine dependence parameters in smoking subjects. Nineteen male smokers were enrolled in this study. Eighteen age-matched non-smokers with no current or past psychiatric history were included as controls. Diffusion tensor imaging scans were performed, and the analysis was conducted using a tract-based special statistics approach. Compared with nonsmokers, smokers exhibited a significant decrease in fractional anisotropy (FA) throughout the whole corpus callosum. There were no significant differences in radial diffusivity or axial diffusivity between the two groups. There was a significant negative correlation between FA in the whole corpus callosum and the amount of tobacco use (cigarettes/day; R = - 0.580, p = 0.023). These results suggest that the corpus callosum may be one of the key areas influenced by chronic smoking.