The potential relationship between anti-smokers and insular stroke

[flashgordonv]

I stumbled across this interesting article on the internet this morning

http://health-matrix.net/2013/01/21/nicotine-the-insular-cortex-and-empathy/

It references a couple of recent research papers on nicotine. This quote below really stood out for me>

"As noted in Naqvi’s narrative [1], patient N enjoyed smoking for many years. But, after the stroke, he not only lost his desire to smoke, but was now ‘‘disgusted by the smell”, a condition similar to hyperosmia. The entire frame of reference for perception of what is pleasurable or painful has been shifted. The insula along with the amygdala has been found to be responsible for prejudice against groups that are considered outside the norm [20]. Because of this pathological condition, sights, sounds and smells of individuals that were once normal may now be perceived as something to be avoided or controlled, . . ..a threat. […]

It is interesting the comment about impaired smell, considering that psychopaths have poor sense of smell. I’m not implying that there is a connection between insular stroke and psychopathy, but rather a possible role of the insula in empathetic processes."

This might help explain the number of former smokers who are so violently anti-smoking and also the number of people who are repulsed by the smell of cigarette smoke.

 

[Gaby]

Isn't that interesting! It's my website

The author of the study brought his publication to my attention after I suggested "....anti-smoking activists to be intolerant, judgmental Authoritarian Follower types" in Nicotine - The Zombie Antidote.

As far as I'm aware, only the abstract of the study is available on the web. So I downloaded the paper and cited other relevant information.

According to the author, tobacco control programs induce stress which results in an increase in cardiovascular disease and (Insular) stroke.

His other publications also contain very good points:

TOBACCO CONTROL?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1448472/

The current cessation program relies heavily on the use of distorted blame, social ostracism, and punishment in the form of job discrimination and exorbitant taxes. These methods do work on the easy subjects with low nicotine tolerance scores and who are still at low risk for purported illness. Since the actual reduction in these illnesses is likely to be small, one would have to question the effectiveness of this dubious program. And what happens to those who fail this behavior control program?

The anti-tobacco program forces a choice between 2 paths, both with negative consequences. It simply produces conflict and imposes more stress on those at greatest risk. This unproductive stress increases illness. No study to date has evaluated the extent of this unintended effect of the anti-tobacco program. A thorough analysis of this effect needs to be completed, especially among stress-sensitive pregnant women5,6 and those who are or have been exposed to high levels of trauma and stress in the military.7 The projected 50% success rate of the program2 will only cause increased social isolation in these at-risk populations. Much more effective cessation methods need to be offered, long before more money is spent on programs that appear to continue and institutionalize the dysfunctional relationships that many people who smoke were exposed to in their youth.

Is sleep apnea a predisposing factor for tobacco use?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8961240

The main symptoms of sleep apnea are somnolence and obesity. Nicotine has been shown to decrease these two symptoms as well as reduce the frequency and duration of apneas. When an apneic youth uses tobacco, the nicotine may begin to treat the apnea and reduce the symptoms. The response of the human system is, naturally, to continue that which improves life, assuring addiction of the apnea to the nicotine. Many of the illnesses attributed to tobacco use and passive parental smoking may actually be confounded by the inherited influence of sleep apnea.

 

[flashgordonv]

Isn't that interesting! It's my website

Wow, you learn something every day. Well done Gaby.

Fascinating connections. I've always wondered why some of these antis are so frothing at the mouth angry. This is a reasonable hypothesis. it might be fun to tell some of them about the stroke they might have had and don't know about. I bet THAT will bring a reaction.

 

[loreta]

I think this is a very important subject. We are all confronted with situations with nonsmokers, how hysteric they are and intolerant. they are like preachers. The wanted to make you feel like a cockroach. And how these programs to help to stop smoking are bull s....t. They are not there to help you, on the contrary, they are put in place to make you more sick, nervous, depressed, and evidently to make you feel guilty with all the consequences when you feel guilty: insecure, depressed, sad, etc. And maybe make you take some medication, why not ? to stop all these feelings and sickness.

 

[Gaby]

I think this is a very important subject. We are all confronted with situations with nonsmokers, how hysteric they are and intolerant. they are like preachers. The wanted to make you feel like a cockroach. And how these programs to help to stop smoking are bull s....t. They are not there to help you, on the contrary, they are put in place to make you more sick, nervous, depressed, and evidently to make you feel guilty with all the consequences when you feel guilty: insecure, depressed, sad, etc. And maybe make you take some medication, why not ? to stop all these feelings and sickness.

And then, most people are heavily medicated with lobotomizing medications that are passed down as normal these days. Being aware of that helps me to cope with intolerant people. It's like this article says:

https://www.sott.net/article/354275-Drug-safety-expert-urges-doctors-to-stop-prescribing-antipsychotic-for-insomnia

Mitchell says it's hard to explain the "inherent hypocrisy" of the massive prescribing of an antipsychotic for insomnia, while medical leaders are warning doctors to be wary of prescribing marijuana for sleep.

On a similar line, there is something inherently wrong and hypocritical in prescribing opioids massively for things like simple back pains while they urge everyone to stay away from anti-inflammatory nicotine.

it might be fun to tell some of them about the stroke they might have had and don't know about. I bet THAT will bring a reaction.

Actually, that is not such a bad idea.

Sigh.

 

[Gaby]

It is interesting the comment about impaired smell, considering that psychopaths have poor sense of smell. I’m not implying that there is a connection between insular stroke and psychopathy, but rather a possible role of the insula in empathetic processes.

This article sheds more light:

Multiple regions deep within the brain collaborate in empathetic and moral decision-making
https://www.sott.net/article/355011-Multiple-regions-deep-within-the-brain-collaborate-in-empathetic-and-moral-decision-making

They found that regions deep within the brain—those primarily responsible for emotions and basic bodily functions—are core to empathic decision-making. The specific role of each brain area is not fixed, but can change depending on which other areas it is communicating with, and what specific messages it is receiving, according to Schaich Borg. ...

"We know that there are many brain regions that seem to do multiple things, sometimes at the same time, but we don't know how the brain pulls that off," Schaich Borg said.

"One idea is that the function a brain region plays at a specific time could be determined by what it is connected to at that time, what other brain regions are doing at that time, and how brain regions are talking to each other at that time," Schaich Borg said. "Some people have called this hypothetical phenomenon 'neural context,' and we've found concrete evidence for that."

The results clarify earlier conflicting findings on the role of specific brain regions, such as the insula, in guiding antisocial and psychopathic behavior, and may shed light on how to encourage altruistic behavior in humans.

Time to make an update to the insular stroke post.

 

[aimarok]

Sorry if I'm being irrelevant here, but there is a nice Russian project that helps to get science articles locked under subscriptions and fees _http://sci-hub.io/. Mentioned article can be found there by its PMID 20350784.