I should have added this to my last post. It is the text from an article in my local paper. It may explain all the brain work that is being applied to this subject. Also another benefit from transferring from tobacco.
Nicotine ‘slows mental decline’
NICOTINE PATCHES can improve the memory of elderly people experiencing early mental decline, research has shown.
The small pilot study, although not conclusive, may point the way to new treatments that delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Scientists carried out memory and thinking skill tests on 67 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) over a period of six months.
Half the participants, who had an average age of 76, were treated daily with 15 milligrams of nicotine administered via a skin patch.
The others were asked to wear a dummy placebo patch containing no active medication.
By the end of the study the nicotine- treated group had regained 46% of normal long-term memory for their age.
Their ability to pay attention was also improved.
Nicotine, the chemical that makes smoking tobacco addictive, is known to stimulate nerve cells in the brain.
However, the authors of the research, which is published in the journal Neurology, were quick to scuttle any suggestion that smoking might stave off Alzheimer’s.
