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Is smoking damaging your thinking and memory?

John R. Polito

More forgetful? What if each and every year of continued smoking is ever so slowly damaging your ability to think, reason and remember? A new study suggests that it is.

The below quotations are from a fascinating 2015 brain scan cortex thickness study in Molecular Psychiatry, the full-text of which is now available for free. First, a little background.

The cerebrum is the large main front portion of our brain. The outer layer of the cerebrum is called the cortex.

The cerebral cortex is composed of folded gray matter and is 2 to 4 millimeters in thickness. The cortex plays key roles in memory, attention, perception, awareness, thought, language, and consciousness.

Here are selected study quotes:

Photo from the Karama et al study showing the cerebral cortex of smokers versus ex-smokers.

Study Citation: Karama S, Ducharme S, Corley J, Chouinard-Decorte F, Starr JM, Wardlaw JM, Bastin ME, Deary IJ. Cigarette smoking and thinning of the brain's cortex. Molecular Psychiatry. 2015 Jun;20(6):778-85.

Question: Why wait another moment before beginning the most amazing awakening you'll likely ever know?

Nicotine addiction is a brain dopamine pathway wanting disorder in which hijacked pathways leave you believing that your next nicotine fix is as important as your next meal.

It's not. It's a deadly lie. Contrary to the influence of thousands of old wanting satisfaction memories, memories which collectively form your prison cell bars, everything done while under nicotine's influence can be done as well or better without it.

The more you understand your chemical dependence and the recovery process, the less frightening coming home becomes.

Explore WhyQuit. Pour yourself into Joel's Library. Visit Turkeyville and witness smart turkey in action.

Knowledge isn't just power but a quitting method. Why not use your remaining brain gray matter to become far wiser than nicotine's grip upon it.

Just one lesson, pearl of wisdom and epiphany at a time, yes you can!

Breathe deep, hug hard, live long,

John R. Polito
Nicotine Cessation Educator





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Written 02/11/16 and page reformatted 02/05/22 by John R. Polito