Each year millions of individuals try to quit smoking and fail. Nicotine patches have been used for decades as an approach in assisting smokers kick the habit, and multiple clinical studies have shown them to be effective smoking cessation aids.

Now, a recently published mild cognitive impairment treatment study is indicating that the nicotine patch may have an additional benefit previously undiscovered by medical science: battling the symptoms, and perhaps even the root cause, of mild cognitive impairment in seniors.

Mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, can best be described as a less-severe version of Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms typically include difficulty paying attention, slower thought processing and memory loss.

Although the exact causes of MCI and Alzheimer’s have yet to be pinpointed exactly, medical experts believe that both diseases stem from death and deterioration of brain nerve cells – specifically, the cells responsible for producing acetylcholine, a chemical that transmits brain signals.

Unfortunately, many people who experience MCI go on to develop Alzheimer’s and the increasingly severe symptoms that come along with it. No medical provisions have been approved for the treatment of MCI. However, a new study conducted at Vanderbilt Medical Center may change that.

The Nature of the Study

The study was conducted by Dr. Paul Newhouse and other researchers at Vanderbilt Medical Center’s Center for Cognitive Medicine. The study involved 67 individuals over the age of 55, all of whom were diagnosed with MCI. The participants were divided into two groups, with one group receiving nicotine patches and the other group receiving placebo patches.

Over the next sixth months, the study participants were tested for various mental skills, including memory. The researchers were very pleased to find that those in the nicotine group experienced memory improvements averaging 46%. Meanwhile, the memory performance of those in the placebo group declined by an average of 26% over the course of the study. Newhouse said that those in the nicotine patch group also experienced improvements in mental processing and attention, though gains were most obvious in memory.

According to Newhouse, it’s unclear whether wearing a nicotine patch only defeats some of the symptoms associated with MCI, or the disease itself. Other studies have provided some evidence that nicotine may offer a level of protection to cells typically damaged by Alzheimer’s.

How Does Nicotine Improve Mental Functioning in the Elderly?

Although scientists aren’t exactly sure why nicotine has such a drastic beneficial effect on the memory of a person with MCI, a couple of theories stand out.

First, it’s known that nicotine molecules are similar in shape to acetylcholine molecules, allowing them to easily fit into the same brain receptors as the very chemical lacking in those with MCI and Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Frank Leone, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s smoking treatment program and an associate professor of medicine, has another theory. He says that any stimulant, nicotine included, has the potential to boost memory functioning and overall cognitive performance. Nicotine patches contain a relatively small dose of nicotine, making them ideal mild stimulants to boost brain functioning without significantly interfering with other health aspects.

More Research Remains

The Vanderbilt researchers admit that their study was relatively small, and that future studies would include larger and more diverse participant pools. Although the findings certainly indicate that nicotine patches can improve mental functioning in those with MCI and even Alzheimer’s, don’t expect doctors to start prescribing “the patch” for these conditions until more research is performed.

Still, it’s important to remember that the nicotine patch is available over the counter, and does not require a prescription. Barring an allergy to nicotine, elderly individuals are free to try the nicotine patch to see if it improves memory and overall mental functioning for them specifically.

However, Dr. Steven Stellman, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, has a word of warning for those who do. Although nicotine patches themselves haven’t been proven addictive, nicotine is still the addictive ingredient found in cigarettes. It’s plausible, then, that older individuals could develop a physical dependency on nicotine patches if they use them on an ongoing basis. Ideally, future research regarding the interaction between nicotine and cognitive functioning would test for dependence as well.

Mild Cognitive Impairment Treatment With Nicotine: The Bottom Line

Although more research remains, a recent study strongly indicates that using a nicotine patch may alleviate symptoms of mild cognitive impairment in older individuals. Study subjects who used nicotine patches for six months experienced a nearly 50% boost to their memory abilities. Unfortunately, nicotine patches may be addictive, although this has yet to be proven.

The full text of the study can be found in the January 10th issue of the medical journal Neurology.