As the largest resource of information specific to women's brain health, we are sure you will find what you are looking for, and promise that you will discover new information.
Published on: January 9, 2012
by Science Daily:
Using a nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, according to a study published in the January 10, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Nicotine has been shown to improve cognitive performance in smokers who have stopped smoking and previous short-term studies with nicotine have shown attention and memory improvement in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This study looked at nicotine in people with mild cognitive impairment, which is the stage between normal aging and dementia when people have mild memory or thinking problems but no significant disability.
The study involved 74 people with an average age of 76 who had mild cognitive impairment and were not smokers. Half of the participants received a nicotine patch of 15 mg per day for six months and half received a placebo. The participants took several tests of memory and thinking skills at the start of the study and again after three and six months.
After six months of treatment, the nicotine-treated group regained 46 percent of normal performance for age on long-term memory, whereas the placebo group worsened by 26 percent over the same time period.
“People with mild memory loss should not start smoking or using nicotine patches by themselves, because there are harmful effects of smoking and a medication such as nicotine should only be used with a doctor’s supervision,” said study author Paul Newhouse, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville. “But this study provides strong justification for further research into the use of nicotine for people with early signs of memory loss. We do not know whether benefits persist over long periods of time and provide meaningful improvement.”
There were no serious side effects for the people receiving the nicotine patch.
Nicotine stimulates receptors in the brain that are important for thinking and memory skills. People with Alzheimer’s disease lose some of these receptors.
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Pfizer Inc. provided the transdermal nicotine patches.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211815.htm
Parkinson’s disease (PD) mainly affects the body’s motor system. It’s symptoms – which result from the long-term degeneration of the central nervous system – occur over time and include shaking, difficulty walking, slow movements, and rigidity. People with...
Creativity is a broad concept that is often characterized by the ability to perceive the world in novel ways, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate innovative and useful solutions. While creativity was...
Hormones are regulatory substances produced by various glands (such as the thyroid, pituitary, ovaries, and adrenal) that stimulate specific cells in the body. They are carried by the blood to different parts of the body...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.
