TY - JOUR
T1 - Nicotine patches in Alzheimer's disease
T2 - Pilot study on learning, memory, and safety
AU - Wilson, A. Lynn
AU - Langley, Linda K.
AU - Monley, Jan
AU - Bauer, Timothy
AU - Rottunda, Sue
AU - McFalls, Edward
AU - Kovera, Craig
AU - McCarten, J. Riley
PY - 1995/1/1
Y1 - 1995/1/1
N2 - In view of the cholinergic deficits present in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), a widely investigated treatment strategy for the cognitive deficits in AD is cholinergic stimulation. Although nicotinic cholinergic receptor binding has been demonstrated to be deficient in the AD brain, the predominant theoretical and therapeutic focus to date has been on muscarinic cholinergic receptors and systems. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of sustained nicotine administration on behavior, cognition, and physiology. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted in which six patients with probable AD were exposed to 7, 8, and 7 days of placebo, nicotine, and washout, respectively. Daily sessions evaluating learning, memory, and behavior were conducted. Global cognitive functioning, rest and activity levels, cardiac activity, and blood levels were also measured. Findings included improved learning during the nicotine condition, which persisted throughout washout. Memory, behavior, and global cognition were not significantly affected. Sustained administration of nicotine appeared to be safe, although sleep showed a significant decrease.
AB - In view of the cholinergic deficits present in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), a widely investigated treatment strategy for the cognitive deficits in AD is cholinergic stimulation. Although nicotinic cholinergic receptor binding has been demonstrated to be deficient in the AD brain, the predominant theoretical and therapeutic focus to date has been on muscarinic cholinergic receptors and systems. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of sustained nicotine administration on behavior, cognition, and physiology. A double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted in which six patients with probable AD were exposed to 7, 8, and 7 days of placebo, nicotine, and washout, respectively. Daily sessions evaluating learning, memory, and behavior were conducted. Global cognitive functioning, rest and activity levels, cardiac activity, and blood levels were also measured. Findings included improved learning during the nicotine condition, which persisted throughout washout. Memory, behavior, and global cognition were not significantly affected. Sustained administration of nicotine appeared to be safe, although sleep showed a significant decrease.
KW - Actigraph
KW - Alzheimer's disease
KW - Behavior
KW - Cardiac
KW - Delayed matching to sample
KW - Human
KW - Learning
KW - Memory
KW - Nicotine
KW - Repeated acquisition
KW - TimeWand
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029054285&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029054285&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0091-3057(95)00043-V
DO - 10.1016/0091-3057(95)00043-V
M3 - Article
C2 - 7667377
AN - SCOPUS:0029054285
VL - 51
SP - 509
EP - 514
JO - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
JF - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
SN - 0091-3057
IS - 2-3
ER -