The adverse health effects brought about by smoking tobacco are well publicized. According to the American Heart Association, smoking is considered to be one of the highest causes of preventable deaths in the United States. Smoking tobacco is a major cause of coronary heart disease, clogged arteries, cancer and lung problems. As it turns out, smoking is also a major cause of impaired cognition in the form of memory loss, lower IQ, altered chemical makeup in the brain as well as impaired brain function in fetuses.
Memory Loss
One way that smoking tobacco can affect cognition is through a long-term loss of memory, according to an article by Steven Reinberg for U.S. News Health. According to Reinberg, middle-aged smokers demonstrated an impaired ability to perform memory tasks. This impaired cognition was also linked to dementia later in life. It was found, however, that quitting smoking allowed some brain function to return.
Low IQ
According to BBC News, in 2004, a research study conducted at the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburg was published in "New Scientist" magazine that linked lower IQs to smoking. Subjects were tested at age 11 and then again at age 64 in areas of memory, non-verbal communication and reasoning, processing and decision-making. Long-term smokers performed significantly worse, showing a link between smoking and diminishing intelligence.
Altered Chemical Makeup
The brain is also affected by smoking in that the act changes the chemical makeup of the brain, according to the Radiological Society of North America. In a study conducted in 2006 by Dr. Okan Gur and associates through the Department of Radiology at the University of Bonn in Germany, subjects who demonstrated nicotine dependence had lower levels of an amino acid, N-acetylaspartate, that controls pleasure. This chemical imbalance has been found in people with psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and dementia. The study also found that smokers had lower levels of choline, a chemical that helps regulate brain and cardiac function and contributes to the metabolism of cells.
Baby and Fetal Cognition
While smoking during pregnancy is highly discouraged, women who smoke while pregnant may have a baby born with breathing problems, smaller weight or problems with cognition. According to BabyCenter, babies born to smokers have a much higher incidence of learning disabilities, behavioral problems and will often exhibit lower IQs than babies born to non-smokers.
References
- U.S. News Health: Smoking Tied to Memory Loss in Middle Age
- BBC News: Smoking 'is Bad for Your Brain'
- Radiological Society of North America: Smoking Changes Brain Chemistry
- BabyCenter: How Smoking During Pregnancy Affects You and Your Baby
- American Heart Associaton: Cigarette Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease
