Smoking section

Nicotine put to peaceful purposes

The brain likes the substance so much more than the lungs

By Flora Stephenson

It's been known for some time that nicotine mimics the natural chemical acetylcholine, a nerve signal that plays a role in learning and memory, among other functions. Researchers plunged in and have come up with a number of novel ways to use nicotine to the benefit of humankind, rather than its detriment. The two most recent studies take a novel look at schizophrenia and at the use of the nicotine patch in memory impairment related to aging -- so-called 'senior moments.'

SCHIZOPHRENIA
Dozens of studies have observed an increase in smoking after the onset of schizophrenia and its accepted that it can relieve the symptoms in some people. Animal studies have confirmed its neuroprotective effects and the release of prefrontal dopamine in response to nicotine.

In a new cohort study, the authors wanted to find out if cigarette smoking might reduce the chance of contracting the disease.

Over 50,000 Swedes, most between the ages of 18 and 20, had their records scanned for the period between 1970 and 1996 to see if they had been admitted to hospital with schizophrenia. The results, which appeared in the December issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry, showed those who smoked proved to have a lower risk of contracting the disease than those who did not. It also appeared that the more the youths smoked, the less likely they were to become schizophrenic. That said, the team headed by Dr Stanley Zammit, was at pains to point out that the harmful effects of smoking more than outweigh the benefits. Still, they urge further research and believe that it may lead to important insights into the disease at the molecular level.

NICOTINE MEMORY BOOST
Another nicotine-related study showed a patch appears to help seniors with the mildest forms of memory loss boost their recall ability. The research conducted at the Duke University Medical Center indicated that after four weeks of wearing the patch, the participant's decision time on a standard memory test was halved.

The sample was small, with only 11 candidates. Each was over the age of 60 with age-associated memory impairment. All completed the 10-week, double blind trial. The patch was worn for four weeks and after a two-week resting period a placebo patch was worn for an additional four weeks.

The research team, headed by geriatrician Dr Heidi White, cautioned against using patches for this purpose before large studies have been completed. They hope that further work will lead to new and innovative uses for the therapy.