ABSTRACT
The development of effective medications for the treatment of nicotine dependence is a clear public health priority. The recent advances in the understanding of the brain mechanisms of tobacco use and addiction, the well-documented medical and behavioral consequences of smoking, and the clear benefits obtained from even minimal therapeutic interventions offer a formidable opportunity to significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by smoking. Some important advances include elucidation of the effects of nicotine that are associated with dependence, such as the increased expression of brain nicotine receptors, changes in regional brain
glucose metabolism, electroencephalographic changes, release
of catecholamines, and the contributions of other neurotransmitter systems, and more recently the findings from pharmacogenetic studies that suggest that nicotine dependence treatments may be tailored to certain smokers as a function of genetic background.
