ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

›› 2005, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (4): 534-543.

Previous Articles    

Neurobiological Mechanism of Nicotine Dependence

Deng Linyuan,Fang Xiaoyi   

  1. Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
  • Received:2005-05-08 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:2005-07-15 Published:2005-07-15
  • Contact: Fang Xiaoyi

Abstract: Nicotine dependence is the main cause of cigarette addiction, which is characterized by uncontrollable compulsion of nicotine-seeking, impulsive and continuous nicotine in-taking,in order to experience euphoria and happiness, and to avoid withdrawal symptoms without nicotine. This article reviewed some research findings of neurobiological mechanism of nicotine dependence from both animal model and human brain imaging study, which revealed that mesolimbic dopamine system is the important neurobiological basis of nicotine dependence. However, previous studies mostly took a static approach, but rarely considered the dynamic process of nicotine dependence; there are also lack of enough evidences of the differences between nicotine dependence and other drugs dependence, which will direct the future studies.

Key words: nicotine-dependence, dopamine, mesolimbic-system, ventral-tegmental-area, brain-imaging

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