MRI brain scanner to aide research
We know that cigarette smoking is associated with lung disease and heart disease but the effects
on the brain are less well known. There is some evidence that smoking may affect thinking skills
in older people and might increase risk of dementia, but there was no information on whether
some brain damage might recover if people stop smoking.
Fortunately we are now closer to finding out the answers, by research carried out by the
University of Edinburgh and the Montreal Neurological Institute.
Using the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) research scanner at the Brain Research Imaging
Centre (BRIC), which is part of Neuroimaging Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, we were
able to analyse brain images that measured the brain’s cortical thickness (the grey cells that do
the thinking), in a group of people aged 73 years, who are members of the Lothian Birth Cohort
(LBC1936).
Can the brain recover after stopping smoking?
Evidence suggests that smokers have, on average, slightly poorer thinking, memory and
perception functioning in older age. By measuring the thickness of the brain’s cortex (the ‘little
grey cells’), researchers can report on the neurodegenerative processes.
By examining the brain’s cortical thickness in the LBC1936 volunteers, researchers were able to
assess their current cortical thickness, and compare this with previously held data. Being aware
of whether those volunteers had either never smoked, were now non-smokers or were still
smokers, allowed further comparisons to be done. The results showed that smoking was
associated with having a thinner cortex (fewer grey cells) in later life.
However, if the person had stopped smoking some years previously, then there was less
thinning of the cortex and possibly some evidence that the cortex might even recover its
thickness. The longer the time since stopping smoking, the thicker the cortex (and therefore the
greater the number of grey / thinking cells). The potential to at least stop cortical thinning from
getting worse by stopping smoking might serve as a strong motivational argument to encourage
smoking cessation.
Smokers need to be informed that cigarettes lead to faster loss of grey cells, in other words
faster ageing of the brain. This can lead to dementia or other brain diseases. Stopping smoking is
worth it: the cortex of people who had stopped smoking did not decline so fast, and there could
even have been some recovery - with complete cortical ‘catch up’ (equal thickness to those who
have never smoked) achieved by 25 years after stopping smoking.
Professor Joanna Wardlaw, from Neuroimaging Sciences at the University of Edinburgh said
“Our detailed brain imaging has shown that smoking damages the brain, just like it damages the
lungs and heart. The damage is like speeding up the ageing process. Losing the grey cells over the
surface of the brain from smoking is like peeling back the bark from a tree – in the case of the tree,
this is a fast way of killing it – in the case of the person, losing the grey cells will affect the ability to
think and remember important things. The high performance scanner is very important for this
work. It too is ageing and we are raising money to buy a replacement to continue this important
work.”
High resolution images needed for such research to continue
Scientists can only continue research to assess causes of cognitive decline and dementia, and
more importantly to do something about it, by having the most effective brain scanners that
produce the highest resolution images. These MRI scanners also provide detailed insights into
diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung and various types of cancer.
The Brain Research Imaging Centre is raising funds to put a high definition MRI scanner for
research at the Royal Infirmary, next to A+E, at Little France. If you wish further information on
this please click on link http://www.friends.ed.ac.uk/altered-imaging.html , or email
edinburgh.imaging@ed.ac.uk .