Relationships between nicotine craving, orexin-leptin levels and temperament character traits among non-treatment seeking health professionals

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Repeated cigarette use in individuals generally occurs due to the craving for smoking. Orexin-leptin hormones and temperament character traits are thought to be important factors affecting nicotine craving. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine orexin-leptin blood levels, which appear in nicotine deprivation, in health professionals who were diagnosed as having tobacco use disorder in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) and to assess the temperament-character traits of the same group and to provide biologic and psychotherapeutic data for the treatment of tobacco abuse. METHODS: The study sample consisted of faculty of medicine students and resident physicians who were smokers (n = 40). The control group comprised medical students and resident physicians who were non-smokers (n = 40). The Sociodemographic and Clinical Information Form, DSM-IV SCID-I Clinical Version, and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were applied to both groups. Substance Craving Scale (SCS) and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence were applied only smoking group. Blood samples were taken for plasma orexin and serum leptin levels for both groups. RESULTS: The plasma orexin levels were lower in the smokers group (p