January 16, 2012

Nicotine Patch May Help Memory Impairment

Marc Gordon, MD

Nicotine patches may ease mild cognitive impairment, according to a new study in the journal Neurology. Study participants showed improved attention plus improvements in secondary measures of attention, memory and thought-processing speed. But the research did not demonstrate a significant difference between nicotine and placebo on overall improvement.

The study was conducted with 74 non-smokers with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, who were randomly assigned to receive either nicotine patches or placebo patches for six months. Amnestic mild cognitive impairment is characterized by measurable impairment in memory without obvious functional disability. It may represent an intermediate stage between normal aging and mild Alzheimer's dementia. Alzheimer’s is associated with a deficiency of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which sends signals between nerve cells by binding to specific receptors. Nicotine has the ability to bind to and activate some of these receptors.

The nicotine-treated group experienced weight loss, more adverse events and more discontinuations due to adverse events, but there were no severe adverse events, and overall, the nicotine patch appeared to be safe and relatively well-tolerated by the participants.

While these results are encouraging and justify further research into the potential therapeutic use of nicotine in mild cognitive impairment, it is important to bear in mind that this is a small, preliminary study. Full Post - to Detail View

January 11, 2012

Can Lower Body Mass Index Be an Early Sign for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Marc Gordon, MD

Obesity, a disease in itself, is a well known cause of other diseases. Midlife obesity, in particular, has been linked with an increased risk of late-life dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Interestingly, patients who have dementia due to Alzheimer's disease are actually more likely to be underweight.

The cause of this association has been unclear. It has been speculated that loss of body mass may be the result of dementia. This makes sense because dementia sufferers may simply be forgetting to eat. Or the inherent decrease in physical activity associated with dementia leads to loss of muscle mass. There is also the possibility that anti-Alzheimer’s medications has adverse effects on appetite.

However, according to a recent study published in Neurology, the authors were able to demonstrate a correlation between lower body mass index (BMI) and the presence of biomarkers suggestive of Alzheimer’s disease pathology on brain imaging and in cerebrospinal fluid. These patients had normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).  Lower BMI in these subjects cannot be explained as a consequence of dementia since they do not have the disease. This leads researchers to suggest that there may be systemic changes in appetite or metabolism as an early manifestation of the disease process.  



 

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August 26, 2011

Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Stop Basketball Coach

Marc Gordon, MD

Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, 59, has announced her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. She plans to continue coaching for as long as possible.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease (sometimes called younger-onset Alzheimer’s), is characterized by symptoms manifesting before age 65. Up to 5 percent of Alzheimer’s patients have the early-onset form—roughly 200,000 in the United States alone, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

It’s impressive that Ms. Summitt decided to go public because a lot of people would have a tendency to feel like they would retire for personal reasons and not be open. But meaningful engagement in life is still possible with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

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