Study Indicates Giving Up Cigarettes Can Cause Episodic Memory Lapses

Dr. Paul Merritt

A Psychology Department study headed by Dr. Paul Merritt indicates that smokers who try to give up cigarettes may suffer from episodic memory lapses due to nicotine withdrawal. The study found that exposure to nicotine through tobacco use causes structural changes in the brain, especially those associated with memory. The result of this rewiring is that the brain relies on the presence of nicotine to function normally. When nicotine is withdrawn, these brain areas are not functioning at their normal level.

“Episodic memory is central to daily functioning,” said Merritt. “It’s how we remember where we parked our cars, what happened in this morning’s meeting, and in some ways, what we are supposed to do later in the day like pick up the dry cleaning.”

Data collected by the University’s Psychology Department in summer and fall 2006 showed that 25 participants had an average reduction in memory performance of 20 percent following 24 hours of tobacco abstinence. Data also found initial evidence that males and females may differ in the effects of nicotine withdrawal on memory.

“Changes in cognitive functioning play an important role in why people fail when they attempt to quit smoking,” Merritt said. “Understanding this process and incorporating this knowledge into treatment regimens is critical in the battle against tobacco use.”

Merritt added that the findings offer an opportunity to understand the biology of memory functions and to potentially reveal treatments for memory loss by targeting the same neural pathways as nicotine. He said further study must be conducted to determine if episodic performance improves after a period of time.

“Understanding this impairment is a central concern for smoking cessation efforts. Individuals may have difficulty quitting smoking because of a reduction in their memory, while many report feeling ‘spacey’ during withdrawal,” Merritt noted.