Table 2.

³H‐nicotine binding to nicotine receptors (fmol/mg tissue) in selected brainstem nuclei in SIDS and control groups, adjusted for the effect of postconceptional age (PCA). Abbreviations: NTS = nucleus of the solitary tract; CEN = nucleus centralis medullae oblongata; HG = hypoglossal nucleus; PO = principal inferior olive; DAO = dorsal accessory olive; MAO = medial accessory olive; PBL = parabrachialis lateralis; PoO = nucleus pontis oralis; LC = locus coeruleus; GRPO = griseum pontis; IPN = interpeduncular nucleus; PAG = periaqueductal gray; CUN = nucleus cuneiformis; ICOL = inferior colliculus; RD = raphe dorsalis; RN = red nucleus.

Site	Age‐adjusted mean ± SE (n)		Diagnosis	Slope	P‐value
	SIDS	Controls	P‐value
NTS	7.0 ± 0.6 (22)	5.7 ± 1.1 (6)	0.313	−0.12	0.003
CEN	9.2 ± 0.8 (23)	8.4 ± 1.5 (6)	0.684	−0.20	<0.001
HG	9.0 ± 0.8 (20)	8.1 ± 1.4 (6)	0.604	−0.18	0.001
PO	21.6 ± 1.1 (24)	20.3 ± 2.1 (6)	0.593	−0.26	<0.001
DAO	11.8 ± 0.7 (22)	11.9 ± 1.4 (6)	0.956	−0.19	<0.001
MAO	14.8 ± 1.0 (22)	14.5 ± 1.9 (6)	0.885	−0.23	0.001
PBL	12.3 ± 1.0 (21)	11.0 ± 1.9 (6)	0.551	−0.24	0.001
PoO	17.1 ± 1.2 (21)	13.7 ± 2.3 (6)	0.195	−0.28	0.001
LC	16.4 ± 1.3 (21)	13.0 ± 2.3 (6)	0.212	−0.27	0.002
GRPO	9.8 ± 0.8 (21)	8.2 ± 1.5 (6)	0.367	−0.14	0.009
IPN	20.1 ± 1.3 (20)	15.9 ± 2.4 (6)	0.144	−0.25	0.006
PAG	13.8 ± 1.2 (18)	12.8 ± 2.1 (6)	0.678	−0.31	0.001
CUN	15.3 ± 1.2 (19)	12.5 ± 2.2 (6)	0.274	−0.29	0.001
ICOL	10.2 ± 0.9 (18)	8.5 ± 1.6 (5)	0.378	−0.21	0.002
RD	15.5 ± 1.2 (17)	12.6 ± 2.0 (6)	0.228	−0.24	0.003
RN	17.5 ± 1.6 (19)	14.5 ± 2.9 (6)	0.376	−0.35	0.002

Values are expressed as means ± SEM adjusted for PCA. No significant differences in ³H‐nicotinic receptor binding were found between the SIDS and control groups. P < 0.05, significant for either (i) diagnosis of SIDS vs. controls or (ii) the effects of PCA.