A memory patch?

For many years, doctors have been trying to harness the memory-enhancing powers of nicotine without exposing people to the carcinogenic chemicals in cigarette smoke. A nicotine patch could be the answer.

Several studies have shown that nicotine can improve attentiveness among patients with attention deficit disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Now, a small study from Duke University researchers suggests that low-dose nicotine patches might relieve the mildest form of memory loss, a common condition called age-associated memory impairment -- often referred to as “senior moments.”

The study of 11 nonsmoking patients ages 60 to 90 found that four weeks of wearing a nicotine patch halved the time it took them to make decisions on a standardized memory test. They scored better on standard measures of mental focus and attentiveness, while reporting improved memory. The low-dose nicotine patch worked without such side effects as increased heart rate, blood pressure and weight loss, all of which are associated with higher doses. One participant dropped out because of nausea.

Nicotine, the study demonstrated, can improve memory and attention even at the earliest stages of memory loss, said co-author Edward D. Levin, a behavioral pharmacologist. It might even slow mental decline.

But people having difficulty recalling simple facts, such as names or phone numbers, shouldn’t rush out to buy the patch, experts say. Nicotine is only FDA-approved for smoking cessation, and the long-term safety of nicotine patches hasn’t been proven in large studies. Levin also cautioned against smoking because cigarettes’ health risks far outweigh nicotine’s benefits.

The findings, published in an online edition of the journal Psychopharmacology and awaiting publication in the printed version, suggest that nicotine-like drugs being developed by several pharmaceutical companies might provide a similar memory-boosting benefit.