The aim of this study was to investigate difference in brain metabolites between smokers and non-smokers in
the brain insular region related to addiction for men in their twenties. Differences in brain connectivity
between the two groups were also determined. A total of 20 males volunteers (10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers)
were enrolled for this study. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed using a 3.0
Tesla MRI scanner. MRS data of left/right insular brain areas were acquired via point-resolved spectroscopy.
A total of 3,096 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) images were obtained under axial conditions in
2D mode. Non-smokers showed significant differences in glycerophosphorylcholine, total choline, free creatine,
and total creatine between left and right insular cortical regions. Differences in concentrations of metabolites
in the islet cortex between smokers and non-smokers were higher in the left islet region than in the right
insular region of non-smokers. Concentrations of tCr metabolites in the left insular area of non-smokers were
higher than those of smokers. In addition, smokers showed higher connectivity in the right gyrus and occipital
fusiform regions than non-smokers, whereas non-smokers had stronger connectivity between the left insular
cortex area and the frontal role right than smokers. This study is meaningful in that it provides a new strategy
using fMRI as well as MRS to identify differences in metabolism between smokers and non-smokers in a
specific age group.