Nicotine helps with senile dementia
Memory of patients with senile dementia was improved with nicotine
Copper news
The use of nicotine patches has improved the mental abilities of patients with senile dementia, the BBC reports (Nicotine 'may aid memory for in early dementia'). The study was conducted by a group of specialists led by Paul Newhouse from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the USA. A report on their work is published in the journal Neurology (Newhouse et al., Nicotine treatment of mild cognitive impairment. A 6-month double-blind pilot clinical trial).
Non–smoking volunteers were selected to participate in the study - 45 men and 29 women with moderate deterioration in the ability to perceive new information (similar changes occur in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease). The average age of the participants who were followed for six months was 76 years.
The volunteers were divided into two groups, one of which received patches containing 15 milligrams of nicotine daily for the specified six months, and the other received a placebo. Scientists evaluated the cognitive abilities of the participants of the experiment using standard tests.
According to the results of the study, the volunteers who received nicotine improved their results in tests for memorization, attention, and reaction speed. In particular, the long-term memory of such participants was 46 percent closer to the age norm. Among those taking placebo, on the contrary, there was a deterioration in these abilities.
The authors noted that in patients with Alzheimer's disease, the number of nicotine receptors in the brain decreases, which may be due to a decrease in mental abilities. According to scientists, it is necessary to conduct more extensive studies to confirm the information received.
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11.01.2012