Smoking harms health at any age, but starting young can lead to serious lifelong issues, including attention disorders.
Researchers at VUmc's Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam investigated the effects of nicotine on developing brains.
Impaired Concentration
The team exposed adolescent rats to nicotine for a defined period, then tested them as adults. Results showed significantly reduced concentration ability and heightened impulsivity due to early nicotine exposure.
These findings highlight nicotine's potential for long-term brain damage during adolescence, a time when the brain is especially vulnerable to addictive substances like nicotine. Rats exposed only as adults showed no lasting effects.
Implications for Humans
Translating these results to the human brain is challenging, as controlled exposure studies are ethically impossible. However, experts suggest it's plausible that young people who start smoking face elevated risks of attention disorders.
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