Nicotine Dependence Related to ADHD, Study Finds

Different types of ADHD affect Nicotine dependence at different ages, according to a study by University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Dr. Daniel Rodriguez and his colleagues from Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology that supports the relationship between ADHD symptoms and Nicotine dependence.

While the connection between cigarette smoking and ADHD has been well documented, few researchers have looked at how ADHD symptoms relate to how a person become dependent on Nicotine. Dr. Rodriguez and his fellow researchers looked at the relationship between Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity symptoms and their correlation to Nicotine dependence in adolescence and early adulthood.

They found that patients with symptoms of Inattention showed signs of Nicotine dependence more quickly in adolescence, but that these dependence symptoms then slowed in young adulthood. In contrast, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity was associated with an acceleration of Nicotine dependence symptoms in young adults.

This research has important implications for future research on the topic, as well as for smoking intervention programs for teens and young adults.

To read more, go to the Journal of Pediatric Psychology website.