Why does severe nicotine withdrawal often involve cognitive dysfunction after chronic smoking?

💡 Explanation

Nicotine withdrawal leads to a sharp decline in dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. Because the prefrontal cortex relies on dopamine for executive functions, this dopamine depletion impairs cognitive processes such as attention and decision-making. Therefore, cognitive dysfunction manifests, rather than serotonin or endorphin release directly causing the effect.

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