monoamine oxidase A levels were 25 percent greater 8 hours after heavy smoking

People who smoke a lot are apparently at a greater risk for suffering from clinical depression and this has been possibly explained by a new study done by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) which shows that smokers who quit have higher levels of a brain protein called monoamine oxidase A which is partly responsible for regulating mood.

The scientists used a brain imaging scanner to analyse parts of the brain and saw that monoamine oxidase A levels were 25 percent greater eight hours after heavy smoking. A control group of non-smoking volunteers had much lower monoamine oxidase A levels. All of the volunteers were also asked to fill out questionnaires and it was seen that those individuals who had higher levels of monoamine oxidase A also reported feelings of depression.

Dr. Jeffrey Meyer who led the study explained that this was the first time that the link between this particular brain protein and cigarette withdrawal had been studied. He also noted that it was well known that this brain protein was linked to clinical depression and therefore smokers should be conscious of possible feelings of sadness after quitting smoking.

This research which was published in the Archives of General Psychiatry should be put to good use by people attempting to quit smoking. If you know you are going to feel depressed soon after quitting you should make a conscious effort to keep your mind occupied.  One way of elevating your mood is to go down to the gym and get a bit of a workout. If you are not the type of person who works out go for a long walk instead because this will not only clear your mind of smoking related thoughts but also reduce physical cravings.

If you are struggling to quit smoking you may want to have an online consultation at the Ukmedix web site where you can discuss the possibility of a prescription for the smoking cessation medication Champix. The drug Champix which is made by Pfizer works on the brain to reduce the psychological cravings for smoking. People who use Champix have much higher rates of smoking success than those who do not.