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Teenagers who smoke may find it hard to concentrate



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SMOKING can rewire teenagers' brains in a way that makes them less able to listen to parents and teachers, according to new research.
Scientists believe nicotine disrupts the development of nerve connections in the maturing adolescent brain. The changes are linked to brain pathways that relay signals to the ear.

As a result, teenagers who smoke may find it harder to concentrate on what is being said to them while they are distracted. Adolescents who ignore what they are told may not simply be acting up – they could be suffering from a genuine problem.

"The fact that smokers show changes in this pathway means they may be less able to hear," said David McAlpine, director of the Ear Institute at University College London.

The nerve disruption was also seen in teenagers whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.



The full article contains 145 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 02 January 2008 9:15 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Tobacco
 
1

Charles Linskaill,

.Edinburgh 03/01/2008 01:10:07
"He that smokes, thinks like a philosopher"
Anyone remember that 'ad' in all the past,
'tobacco shops'?
Anyway, even as an interesting topic, I doubt it will make a'
'Hoot of difference' to anyone, least of all a "Teen" that wants to 'Puff'
2

Boy Wonder,

03/01/2008 07:54:42
Sorry, I had trouble getting through this article. Had to keep stopping to re-read parts for some reason!

Oh yes ... now I remember ... what a load of guff! More junk science again!
3

Rollo Tommasi,

03/01/2008 08:41:28
Really, Boy Wonder? What exactly is it about the way this research was conducted which makes you describe this as "junk science"? Or is it just that the results don't fit your prejudices?

By the way, I'm not treating the results of this study as established fact. Further investigations may dispute these results, or they might reinforce them. But the results certainly show this is something worth investigating further.
4

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 10:43:42
Dohhhh! I think I've just been smoking.
5

english charlie,

suffolk 03/01/2008 10:48:42
Note all the positive words. CAN. BELIEVE. MAY. MAY NOT. COULD BE. MAY.
6

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 11:01:21
#5, english charlie,suffolk.
Think positive chas. SMOKING IS BAD FOR YOU!
More positive words. SMOKING REALLY SUCKS!!
7

english charlie,

suffolk 03/01/2008 11:45:49
I BELIEVE you MAY or MAY NOT be wrong or right. COULD BE you hate smokers.
From a very healthy smoker.
8

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 12:21:00
#7, english charlie,suffolk.
I KNOW I can often be wrong, but also that I do NOT hate smokers. I am HAPPY for chas and his fellow smokers to stay very healthy, just as long as they keep their BLISSFUL puffing to THEMSELVES.
Oh, but SMOKING STILL SUCKS.
Is chas a HAPPY boy now?
9

english charlie,

suffolk 03/01/2008 12:26:23
Now that you have admitted that you are can often be wrong has made me very happy.
10

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 12:34:20
#9, "To err is human........" Perhaps some of the pro-smoker lobby could try realising that they can often be wrong, too, and that I do not HATE them.
Just to take the edge of chas' deep happiness, "a very healthy smoker" is somewhat of an oxymoron.
11

Selgovae,

Scottish Borders 03/01/2008 13:23:16
#3 "What exactly is it about the way this research was conducted which makes you describe this as "junk science"?"

"Junk science" may be inappropriate, but the use of the word "believe" makes me think the conclusion was based on behavioral studies only, and not physical evidence of "nerve disruption". My first thought on reading the article was that the "genuine problem" these adolescents were suffering from was that they were dying for a fag. I'd be interested to know whether any control groups were established where the pupils were allowed to smoke during lessons, and whether concentration increased or otherwise in these groups.
12

Rollo Tommasi,

03/01/2008 17:15:52
Selgovae: The study did involve physical tests - involving diffusion tensor imaging - and control groups. The results suggest a noticeable, but not huge, difference. There's also a question about small sample size. So not definitive evidence, in my view. But, like I said earlier, enough food for further thought.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7167997.stm
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726370.200-teenage-smokers-risk-badly-wired-brains.html
13

Rollo Tommasi,

03/01/2008 17:18:58
Sorry - "The results suggest a noticeable, but not huge, difference." should read "The results suggest a noticeable, but not huge, difference in results between teenagers who smoke, and those who don't - and also between teenagers whose mothers smoked during pregnancy, and those whose mothers did not."
14

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 19:09:27
Dohhhhh! I've still been smoking.
15

Charles Linskaill,

.Edinburgh 03/01/2008 22:14:32
14 David, that's how I feel after I wander about this new web site, :-)))
16

David from New Mills,

U.K. 03/01/2008 22:27:35
15 Charles Linskaill,.Edinburgh.
Perhaps, then, like the fags, best avoided.
17

Charles Linskaill,

.Edinburgh 04/01/2008 00:12:19
16 David from New Mills, canny do that! its meditation!
18

David from New Mills,

U.K. 04/01/2008 10:24:48
#17,Charles Linskaill,Edinburgh.
Posting not quite understood. Did Charles mean HE can't avoid smoking as it's his medication?

 

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