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Smoking triggers cognitive impairment
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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At the University of Edinburgh, a team of researchers found that in smokers, the process of thinning of the cerebral cortex occurs faster than usual, and this threatens to disrupt thinking abilities, speech, memory, etc. in the future.
For their study, the researchers recruited 500 participants who had taken part in an earlier study conducted in 1947. The participants included both men and women who continued to smoke, had given up the habit, or had never smoked at all. The participants were on average 73 years old, and the number of men and women was about equal.
As a result of the latest examination of the participants, scientists concluded that the cerebral cortex of smokers is much thinner than normal, while in those who quit this bad habit, the cortex was partially restored, i.e. since the time a person quit smoking, the cerebral cortex has become thicker.
One of the scientists, Sherif Karama, explained that they managed to find out that in people who still suffer from the bad habit, thinning in the cerebral cortex occurred in entire areas. And in those who gave up smoking some time ago, positive improvements in the cerebral cortex are observed, i.e. the thickness is partially restored over time.
Thinning of the cerebral cortex is a natural physiological process, as scientists note, with age this phenomenon is observed in every person, however, in smokers this process is much faster, which can affect thinking abilities in the future. Due to the thinning of the cerebral cortex, a person begins to experience changes that over time worsen cognitive functions.
Scientists also note that the harm from smoking does not manifest itself immediately, but after decades. Because of smoking, a person in old age may begin to have cognitive disorders, which manifests itself in a decrease in memory, mental performance, perception of information, speech, etc.
In another study, experts from the University of Copenhagen confirmed that it is best to quit smoking gradually. According to the researchers, anyone who wants to get rid of nicotine addiction should reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day.
In their study, the specialists analyzed the brain's reaction to abrupt smoking cessation. During the brain scan of the experiment participants, it was found that after abrupt smoking cessation, the oxygen level and blood circulation in the brain worsened by an average of 17%.
As the study showed, during the first day without cigarettes, the brain begins to show disturbances that resemble mental retardation (reduced ability to perceive surrounding phenomena, loss of ability to separate the main from the secondary, and loss of criticism of one’s own behavior and words).
It is for this reason, experts believe, that it is difficult for a person to abstain from smoking and many return to the harmful habit again.
By gradually reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day, brain function is not disrupted and addiction decreases over time.
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