Altered habenula resting state functional connectivity in deprived veteran tobacco smokers: A pilot study

This study aimed to examine habenular resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) abnormalities in tobacco-smoking veterans. The authors explored RSFC in sated smokers (n = 3D 18), overnight deprived smokers (n = 3D 13), and nonsmoker controls (n = 3D 26). Seed-to-voxel analysis was used to explore RSFC in the habenula. Compared to sated smokers, deprived smokers demonstrated higher RSFC between the right habenula and two clusters of voxels: one in the right fusiform gyrus, and one in the left lingual gyrus. To study nicotine withdrawal, the authors used the Shiffman-Jarvik Withdrawal Questionnaire (SJWQ) score as a regressor and found higher RSFC between the right habenula and the left frontal pole in deprived compared to sated smokers. Right habenula RSFC distinguished between sated and deprived smokers and differentiated between sated and deprived smokers when using SJWQ as a regressor, suggesting a habenular role in tobacco withdrawal.