<p>It is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2017280" rel="noreferrer">known</a> that prolonged nicotine use alters the brain's connectivity. <em>Nicotine exerts its neurophysiologic action principally through the brain’s reward center</em>.<a href="https://www.medscape.com/answers/287555-158502/what-is-the-pathophysiology-of-nicotine-addiction" rel="noreferrer">2</a> <em>Neuroadaptation develops with repeated exposure to nicotine, resulting in tolerance to many of the effects of nicotine.</em><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18342164/" rel="noreferrer">3</a></p>
<p><em>Recovery involves a major change in thoughts and feelings, and such changes require ongoing neural development or neuroplasticity.</em> <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addicted-brains/201512/recovery-addiction-relies-neuroplasticity" rel="noreferrer">4</a> So quitting a long term addiction will involve rewiring in the brain. Which in turn is dependent on neural plasticity.</p>
<p><em>Thus, age-related dysregulation of calcium signaling may underlie deficits in neural plasticity, and may ultimately be responsible for cognitive decline that occurs in the healthy, non-demented aging population.</em> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124115965000149" rel="noreferrer">5</a></p>
<p>To summarize: quitting a long term addiction requires brain plasticity, which in turn is in deficit in older populations.</p>
<p>So are the elderly neurologically just as capable of overcoming addictions as the young?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-04T05:29:45.417Z
Nice job revamping this question. I added one final tweak by removing your second question that was entirely an opinion poll.
Carey Gregory
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-04T06:28:44.557Z
I also wonder (as the question seems to centre on calcium signalling and neuroplasticity) whether this question may be better with the neuroscientists at Psychology&Neuroscience.SE
Chris Rogers
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2021-04-04T14:25:34.210Z
@ChrisRogers Yes, I think it would be a better fit there.
Carey Gregory
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2021-04-04T16:43:45.413Z
@ChrisRogers Yes, you are right, that would be a much better fit. I even have an account and had asked a question on the psychology and neuro SE. Somehow it didn't cross my mind while asking this question.
ahron
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-04T16:45:21.547Z
@CareyGregory Yes, even I like the revamped version better; thanks for pushing me in that direction.
ahron
<neurology><addiction><nicotine>
Deaddiction and neural plasticity in case of the elderly
ahron
# Deaddiction and neural plasticity in case of the elderly

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-04-01)

It is [known](https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2017280) that prolonged nicotine use alters the brain's connectivity. *Nicotine exerts its neurophysiologic action principally through the brain’s reward center*.[2](https://www.medscape.com/answers/287555-158502/what-is-the-pathophysiology-of-nicotine-addiction) *Neuroadaptation develops with repeated exposure to nicotine, resulting in tolerance to many of the effects of nicotine.*[3](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18342164/)

*Recovery involves a major change in thoughts and feelings, and such changes require ongoing neural development or neuroplasticity.* [4](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/addicted-brains/201512/recovery-addiction-relies-neuroplasticity) So quitting a long term addiction will involve rewiring in the brain. Which in turn is dependent on neural plasticity.

*Thus, age-related dysregulation of calcium signaling may underlie deficits in neural plasticity, and may ultimately be responsible for cognitive decline that occurs in the healthy, non-demented aging population.* [5](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124115965000149)

To summarize: quitting a long term addiction requires brain plasticity, which in turn is in deficit in older populations.

So are the elderly neurologically just as capable of overcoming addictions as the young?

**Tags:** neurology, addiction, nicotine

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Nice job revamping this question. I added one final tweak by removing your second question that was entirely an opinion poll.  
> **username_2**: I also wonder (as the question seems to centre on calcium signalling and neuroplasticity) whether this question may be better with the neuroscientists at Psychology&Neuroscience.SE  
> **username_1**: @ChrisRogers Yes, I think it would be a better fit there.  
> **username_0**: @ChrisRogers Yes, you are right, that would be a much better fit. I even have an account and had asked a question on the psychology and neuro SE. Somehow it didn't cross my mind while asking this question.  
> **username_0**: @CareyGregory Yes, even I like the revamped version better; thanks for pushing me in that direction.  

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## 0 answers

