Description
Cholinergic nicotinic receptor (CHRN) gene family has been known to mediate the highly additive effects of nicotine in the body, and implicated nicotine dependence (ND) and related phenotypes. Cigarette smoking is protective in Parkinson's disease (PD), possibly because of nicotine action on brain nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors. The beta3 nicotinic-acetylcholine receptor subunit (encoded by CHRNB3) is depleted in the striatum of PD patients and associated with nicotine dependence