Kyle Hunts to Help his Brain

Klye shuffles up and down the street to pickup cigarette butts. He needs tobacco and he needs the job of HUNTING the leftover butts. K is schizophrenic and I learned that schizophrenics crave and NEED tobacco to focus their brains.

Some days I imagine buying cigs and sprinkling them around for him, maybe one full cig a week on the rim of my wall. Like an Easter egg hunt.

I like Kyle and I say hello every time he passes me on the street which is 3 times a day on most days. I explain to the suburban gym customers that he is harmless even though he looks odd. He is just hunting for tobacco to help his brain.

If more people put themselves in Kyle's shoes we'd have a peaceful world.

Smoking and schizophrenia.
Sagud M1, Mihaljević-Peles A, Mück-Seler D, Pivac N, Vuksan-Cusa B, Brataljenović T, Jakovljević M.
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Abstract

Smoking prevalence for schizophrenic patients is higher than this for general population. More than 60% of schizophrenic patients are current smokers, which contributes to excessive mortality in these patients. The reasons for high frequency of both smoking prevalence and heavy smoking in schizophrenic patients is thought to be at least partially related to enhancement of brain dopaminergic activity, which, in turn, results in behavioral reinforcement due to stimulant effects. Smoking stimulates dopaminergic activity in the brain by inducing its release and inhibiting its degradation. There is also evidence that cigarette smoking can reduce deficits relative to dopamine hypofunction in prefrontal cortex. Recent neuroimaging studies have further contributed the evidence of complex influences of cigarette smoking on brain dopaminergic function. It has been suggested that smoking may be an attempt by schizophrenic patients to alleviate cognitive deficits and to reduce extrapyramidal side-effects induced by antipsychotic medication. Cigarette smoke also increases the activity of CYP 1A2 enzymes, thus decreasing the concentration of many drugs, including clozapine and olanzapine. There is also evidence that smoking is associated with increased clearance of tiotixene, fluphenazine and haloperidol. Given the high frequency of smoking in schizophrenic patients, clinicians need to check smoking status in each patient. Schizophrenic patients who smoke may require higher dosages of antipsychotics than nonsmokers. Conversely, upon smoking cessation, smokers may require a reduction in the dosage of antipsychotics.

PMID:
19794359

[Indexed for MEDLINE]

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