Age-dependent effects of tobacco smoke and nicotine on cognition and the brain: A systematic review of the human and animal literature comparing adolescents and adults

• Published in: Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2023-03, Vol.146, p.105038, Article 105038
• Main Authors: Colyer-Patel, Karis, Kuhns, Lauren, Weidema, Alix, Lesscher, Heidi, Cousijn, Janna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Brain; Cognition; Development; Humans; Nicotine; Nicotine - pharmacology; Systematic review; Tobacco; Tobacco Products; Tobacco Smoke Pollution
• ISSN: 0149-7634; 1873-7528; 1873-7528
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105038

Cigarette smoking is often initiated during adolescence and an earlier age of onset is associated with worse health outcomes later in life. Paradoxically, the transition towards adulthood also marks the potential for recovery, as the majority of adolescents are able to quit smoking when adulthood emerges. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence from both human and animal studies for the differential impact of adolescent versus adult repeated and long-term tobacco and nicotine exposure on cognitive and brain outcomes. The limited human studies and more extensive yet heterogeneous animal studies, provide preliminary evidence of heightened fear learning, anxiety-related behaviour, reward processing, nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptors expression, dopamine expression and serotonin functioning after adolescent compared to adult exposure. Effects of nicotine or tobacco use on impulsivity were comparable across age groups. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying adolescents’ vulnerability to tobacco and nicotine. Future research is needed to translate animal to human findings, with a focus on directly linking a broader spectrum of brain and behavioural outcomes. •We evaluate the evidence of the impact of adolescent versus adult tobacco and nicotine exposure on cognitive and brain outcomes.•Adolescents are vulnerable to nicotine/tobacco exposure on processes such as learning/memory, reward processing and craving.•The underlying brain mechanism of these processes appear to be more sensitive to nicotine exposure during adolescence.•Future studies linking a broader spectrum of brain and behavioural outcomes are warranted.