Le Houezec J
CNRS URA 1957, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
J Psychiatry Neurosci. 1998 Mar;23(2):95-108.
Tobacco dependence is a complex phenomenon that is not fully understood. Nicotine is the main alkaloid in tobacco and the addictive compound of tobacco. It can improve both mood and cognitive functioning; these positive effects are strong reinforcements for smokers and contribute to their addiction. Opposite results also have been reported, however, and the effects of nicotine remain controversial. Recent epidemiological and empirical studies have indicated that smoking or nicotine or both may have protective effects against certain diseases. These findings have suggested that nicotine may be used as a therapeutic agent. However, because a variety of nicotinic cholinergic receptors are present in the brain, new agonist compounds may prove to be more effective than nicotine for therapeutic purposes. Studies are reviewed and the suggestion made that nicotine may prove useful as a tool to help us understand normal and pathological brain functioning.
烟草依赖是一种尚未被完全理解的复杂现象。尼古丁是烟草中的主要生物碱和成瘾性化合物。它既能改善情绪又能提升认知功能；这些积极作用对吸烟者来说是强大的强化因素，并促使他们上瘾。然而，也有相反的报道，尼古丁的作用仍然存在争议。最近的流行病学和实证研究表明，吸烟、尼古丁或两者可能对某些疾病具有保护作用。这些发现表明尼古丁可能被用作一种治疗剂。然而，由于大脑中存在多种烟碱型胆碱能受体，新型激动剂化合物可能在治疗方面比尼古丁更有效。本文对相关研究进行了综述，并提出尼古丁可能被证明是一种有助于我们理解正常和病理大脑功能的工具。
