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Nicotine & Tobacco Research Advance Access originally published online on October 9, 2009
Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2009 11(11):1321-1329; doi:10.1093/ntr/ntp141
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

DRD2-related TaqIA polymorphism modulates motivation to smoke

Yantao Zuo, David G. Gilbert, Norka E. Rabinovich, Hege Riise, Rachel Needham and Jodi I. Huggenvik

Yantao Zuo, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL
David G. Gilbert, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL
Norka E. Rabinovich, B.A., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL
Hege Riise, M.A., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL
Rachel Needham, B.S., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL
Jodi Huggenvik, Ph.D., Department of Physiology and School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, IL

Corresponding Author: David G. Gilbert, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Mailcode 6502, Carbondale, IL 62901-6502, USA. Telephone: 1-618-453-3527; Fax: 1-618-453-3563; E-mail: dgilbert{at}siu.edu


  Abstract

Introduction: TaqIA polymorphism, a genetic variant associated with the expression level of dopamine D2 receptors in the brain, has been linked to various aspects of smoking behavior, including smoking prevalence, affective withdrawal symptoms, and smoking cessation outcome. However, its involvement in motivation to smoke cigarettes has not been elucidated.

Methods: The present study examined the possible differences in self-reported reasons to smoke and craving for smoking in 160 smokers participating in a clinical trial.

Results: Individuals with at least one A1 allele of the TaqIA polymorphism were more likely to report smoking for stimulating effects and to reduce negative affect compared with those lacking an A1 allele. The association of the A1 genotype with a higher probability and stronger motive to smoker to enhance cognitive functioning was evident in female but not in male smokers. Female A1 carriers also expected a greater likelihood of smoking for pleasure than those without an A1 allele. A1 subjects reported stronger craving for cigarettes during early days and the last phase of a 6-week abstinence period.

Discussion: These results support the idea that dopaminergic transmission plays an important role in the neurobiological basis of reasons for smoking and that the TaqIA variant is one of the genetic factors underlying individual differences in these aspects. These findings also have implications for improving treatment strategies to help individuals quit smoking by controlling their motivation to continue cigarette consumption.

Received: March 21, 2009; Accepted: July 20, 2009

Present address: Yantao Zuo, Ph.D., Center for Nicotine and Smoking Cessation Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC

Rachel Needham, B.S., Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Jonesboro, IL


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