Cigarette Smoking, Neuropsychological Performance and Personality Traits

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the use of cigarette smoking in terms of personality traits and neuropsychological test performance. Various clinical and personality tests, and also a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery were administered to currentsmokers (n=28), former smokers (n=18) and never-smokers (n=43). Findings following clinical and personality testing indicated that current-smokers had higher scores in novelty and sensation seeking, venturesomeness and disinhibition but had lower scores in obsessivecompulsive and avoidant personality disorder than never-smokers and former smokers. For neuropsychological performance; although the current-smokers’ performance was as good as never-smokers and former smokers on the neuropsychological tests which are sensitive to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex dysfunction, in comparison to the never-smokers and former smokers, they performed rather poorly on the neuropsychological tests that are sensitive to inhibitory control and the orbitofrontal cortex dysfunction, such as rule breaking. The results pointed out that the orbitofrontal cortex plays a critical role in cigarette smoking.