Abnormal resting-state effective connectivity in reward network among long-term male smokers.

Overall, our findings revealed disrupted neural causal interactions among parts of the reward network associated with tobacco addiction, expanding the growing evidence for the potential neurobiological mechanisms of tobacco addiction. We found abnormalities within the mesocorticolimbic system and a top-down regulation disorder in the dopamine-dependent process of response inhibition and salience attribution among long-term smokers, which may facilitate the development of effective therapies in tobacco addiction.