The key to quitting smoking may be in the brain

Are you an ex-smoker? Or struggling to quit?

According to a study in Neuropsychopharmacology, the key to success may be in how the brain is wired.

Researchers looked at the MRI scans of 85 people before they tried to stop smoking and tracked their progress for 10 weeks. Scientists found the MRI scans of the 44 people who quit successfully had something in common: their brains had better coordination between the insula, which controls cravings and the somatosensory cortex, which is used in motor control.

“Simply put, the insula is sending messages to other parts of the brain that then make the decision to pick up a cigarette or not,” said lead author Dr Merideth Addicott.

More: Increased Functional Connectivity in an Insula-Based Network is Associated with Improved Smoking Cessation Outcomes

More: Why you should stop smoking, in one video