Objective: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) metal ions and anxiety, depression, and insomnia among cigarette smokers.
Methods: We measured CSF levels of various metal ions from 178 Chinese male subjects. Apart from sociodemographic and clinical characteristics data, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were applied.
Results: BDI and PSQI scores (all p < 0.001) were significantly higher in active smokers than nonsmokers. Active smokers have significantly higher CSF levels of magnesium, zinc, iron, lead, lithium, and aluminum (all p ≤ 0.002). Some metal ions, including zinc, iron, lead, and aluminum, were found to have a significant correlation with BDI scores, whereas metal ions, including zinc and lead, were found to have a significant correlation with PSQI scores in the general group. More interesting, mediation analysis showed that aluminum mediated the relationship between smoking and depression.
Conclusions: Cigarette smoking was indeed associated with depression and insomnia. Active smokers had significantly higher CSF levels of magnesium, zinc, iron, lead, lithium, and aluminum. Furthermore, CSF aluminum played a mediating role in the relationship between smoking and depression, which further confirmed its neurotoxicity.
Keywords: anxiety; cigarette smoking; depression; insomnia; metal ions.
© 2022 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.