Mild Cognitive Impairment Can Be Stalled with Nicotine Patches

According to the conclusions of a new scientific study, it would appear that seniors who suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – an intermediary stage between normal aging and dementia – can avert additional memory loss by using nicotine patches.

This finding is very important because MCI is known to be a predictive factor for the development of advanced forms of cognitive decline and dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. When someone develops MCI, that is usually the point when others start noticing mild memory or thinking problems.

In a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology, the team writes that “what we and others have shown is that nicotine doesn’t do much for memory and attention in the normal population, but it does do something for those whose cognitive function is already impaired.”

The new data should not be construed as scientists encouraging people to smoke or use nicotine patches indiscriminately, PsychCentral reports.