Researchers transform understanding of nicotine’s impact on the adolescent brain

A team of researchers at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, led by professor Steven R. Laviolette, is redefining our understanding of nicotine's impact on the adolescent brain. With a $1.4-million project grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the team is studying the neurotoxic effects of nicotine - focusing on its intake via e-cigarettes and vapes - and exploring its link to mood and anxiety disorders among youth. In this first-of-its-kind study, using both animal and human models, the researchers are also pioneering intervention strategies to mitigate the ill-effects of nicotine on the adolescent brain. "Even though overall smoking rates are declining in the general population, vaping and e-cigarettes are becoming more popular, especially among young people. A lot of these products have very high concentrations of nicotine," said Laviolette, director of the Addictions Research Group at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry. "Our previous work shows that exposure to nicotine during adolescence can increase the risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders in later life. But we don't really know why.