Author Interviews, Pediatrics, PLoS, Smoking, Tobacco Research / 29.12.2020
Vaping Can Make Your Head Cloudy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dongmei Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Clinical and Translational Science Institute
University of Rochester Medical Center
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Previous animal and human studies have found that nicotine exposure could harm adolescents’ brain development and impact their cognitive functions. Electronic cigarettes, which have become very popular among youth in the US in recent years, usually contain nicotine at equivalent or possibly higher levels than traditional tobacco cigarettes. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that vaping might be associated with self-reported cognitive complaints.
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: Main findings from our study are:
- Our cross-sectional youth and adult studies are the first to associate vaping with self-reported complaints of serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
- Our youth study also found that students who reported starting to vape early – between eight and 13 years of age – had higher odds of reporting difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions than those who started vaping at 14 or older.
- These studies add to a growing list of conditions and diseases (wheezing, COPD, cardiovascular disease, cancer) that have been associated with vaping/electronic cigarette use.