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Nicotine, Sleep, and Depression

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Book cover Nutrients, Stress, and Medical Disorders

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Since the classical experiments of Otto Loewi, it has been known that acetylcholine acts as a neurotransmitter. The actions of acetylcholine are exerted on its receptors, and these receptors are subdivided according to pharmacological sensitivity to two alkaloids of natural origin—muscarine and nicotine. Although the effects of nicotine on the nervous system have been known for a number of years, research on nicotinic receptors focused mainly on the neuromuscular junction and in the neuro-neuronal synapsis in the autonomic ganglia. The actions of nicotine on the central nervous system (CNS) were largely ignored for years. In the last two decades, however, research on the effects of nicotine on the CNS has greatly increased. Recent results have revealed that there is a complex network of nicotine receptor subtypes, closely related to several neurotransmitter systems, that are able to regulate their function. This influence seems to be particularly important in the recently discovered reciprocal relationship between depression and the alterations of sleep often observed in this psychiatric disease. In this chapter we will review the current knowledge of the effects of nicotine and how it influences depression and concurrent sleep alterations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area de Neurociencias, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico City, México

    Javier Velázquez-Moctezuma

  2. Departmento de Neurociencias, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México

    René Drucker-Colín

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  1. Javier Velázquez-Moctezuma
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  2. René Drucker-Colín
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, and The Gonda Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Shlomo Yehuda PhD

  2. Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA

    David I. Mostofsky PhD

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Velázquez-Moctezuma, J., Drucker-Colín, R. (2006). Nicotine, Sleep, and Depression. In: Yehuda, S., Mostofsky, D.I. (eds) Nutrients, Stress, and Medical Disorders. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-952-4:231

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