NICOTINE PATCHES IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE - PILOT-STUDY ON LEARNING, MEMORY, AND SAFETY

In view of the cholinergic deficits present in patients with Alzheimer 's disease (AD), a widely investigated treatment strategy for the cogn itive deficits in AD is cholinergic stimulation. Although nicotinic ch olinergic receptor binding has been demonstrated to be deficient in th e 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 pro bable AD were exposed to 7, 8, and 7 days of placebo, nicotine, and wa shout, respectively. Daily sessions evaluating learning, memory, and b ehavior were conducted. Global cognitive functioning, rest and activit y levels, cardiac activity, and blood levels were also measured. Findi ngs included improved learning during the nicotine condition, which pe rsisted throughout washout. Memory, behavior, and global cognition wer e not significantly affected. Sustained administration of nicotine app eared to be safe, although sleep showed a significant decrease.