Nicotine for Alzheimer's disease - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

Nicotine for Alzheimer's disease

J M López-Arrieta et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000.

Update in

• Efficacy and safety of nicotine on Alzheimer's disease patients.
  López-Arrieta JM, Rodríguez JL, Sanz F. López-Arrieta JM, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(2):CD001749. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001749. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001. PMID: 11406005 Review.

Abstract

Background: Nicotine is a cholinergic agonist that acts, not only post-synaptically, but also releases pre-synaptic acetylcholine, and in animal models has been shown to reverse spatial memory decline in rats with lesion in the medial septal nucleus and to show recovery on memory in aged monkeys. Nicotine also has effects on other transmitters like serotonin (5HT), dopamine, or GABA. On the other hand, because nicotine has serious adverse effects, especially concerning cardiovascular risks in elderly people, and also on sleep and behavior, there are several important reasons to conduct a systematic review to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of nicotine in patients with AD.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to determine whether there is evidence of beneficial effect, and to assess its safety profile, when nicotine is used for Alzheimer's disease.

Search strategy: The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Issue 2, 99) was searched using the terms nicotin* and alzheimer*. Three references to trials were deemed suitable for inclusion but are awaiting consideration while the investigators are contacted.

Selection criteria: All unconfounded, double-blind, randomized trials in which treatment with nicotine patches or administration of nicotine intravenously was administered for more than a day and compared to placebo in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Data collection and analysis: As no trials were suitable for inclusion, no data have been extracted or pooled in a meta-analysis. One trial is awaiting consideration, and if included in an update of this review, any available data will be incorporated.

Main results: The poor quality of the trials did not allow any synthesis of results across studies. However, the data available in trials considered are compatible with nicotine producing harm, no change or improvement.

Reviewer's conclusions: This review is not able to provide reliable evidence that nicotine is a useful treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None known.

Similar articles

• Efficacy and safety of nicotine on Alzheimer's disease patients.
  López-Arrieta JM, Rodríguez JL, Sanz F. López-Arrieta JM, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(2):CD001749. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001749. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001. PMID: 11406005 Review.
• Selegiline for Alzheimer's disease.
  Birks J, Flicker L. Birks J, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD000442. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000442. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003. PMID: 12535396 Review.
• Folic acid supplementation and malaria susceptibility and severity among people taking antifolate antimalarial drugs in endemic areas.
  Crider K, Williams J, Qi YP, Gutman J, Yeung L, Mai C, Finkelstain J, Mehta S, Pons-Duran C, Menéndez C, Moraleda C, Rogers L, Daniels K, Green P. Crider K, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Feb 1;2(2022):CD014217. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014217. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMID: 36321557 Free PMC article.
• Tacrine for Alzheimer's disease.
  Qizilbash N, Birks J, López-Arrieta J, Lewington S, Szeto S. Qizilbash N, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000;1999(2):CD000202. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000202. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2000. PMID: 10796507 Free PMC article. Updated. Review.
• Nimodipine for primary degenerative, mixed and vascular dementia.
  López-Arrieta, Birks J. López-Arrieta, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(1):CD000147. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000147. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001. PMID: 11279679 Updated. Review.

Cited by

• Microarray technology and its application on nicotine research.
  Li MD, Konu O, Kane JK, Becker KG. Li MD, et al. Mol Neurobiol. 2002 Jun;25(3):265-85. doi: 10.1385/MN:25:3:265. Mol Neurobiol. 2002. PMID: 12109875 Review.
• Regulation of feeding-associated peptides and receptors by nicotine.
  Li MD, Parker SL, Kane JK. Li MD, et al. Mol Neurobiol. 2000 Aug-Dec;22(1-3):143-65. doi: 10.1385/MN:22:1-3:143. Mol Neurobiol. 2000. PMID: 11414277 Review.
• Reformulating Pro-Oxidant Microglia in Neurodegeneration.
  García-Revilla J, Alonso-Bellido IM, Burguillos MA, Herrera AJ, Espinosa-Oliva AM, Ruiz R, Cruz-Hernández L, García-Domínguez I, Roca-Ceballos MA, Santiago M, Rodríguez-Gómez JA, Soto MS, de Pablos RM, Venero JL. García-Revilla J, et al. J Clin Med. 2019 Oct 17;8(10):1719. doi: 10.3390/jcm8101719. J Clin Med. 2019. PMID: 31627485 Free PMC article. Review.
• Nicotine accelerates angiogenesis and wound healing in genetically diabetic mice.
  Jacobi J, Jang JJ, Sundram U, Dayoub H, Fajardo LF, Cooke JP. Jacobi J, et al. Am J Pathol. 2002 Jul;161(1):97-104. doi: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64161-2. Am J Pathol. 2002. PMID: 12107094 Free PMC article.
• Smoking, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly, a systematic review.
  Peters R, Poulter R, Warner J, Beckett N, Burch L, Bulpitt C. Peters R, et al. BMC Geriatr. 2008 Dec 23;8:36. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-8-36. BMC Geriatr. 2008. PMID: 19105840 Free PMC article. Review.

References

References to studies included in this review

White 1999 {published data only}

1. 1. White HK, Levin ED. Four‐week nicotine skin patch treatment effects on cognitive performance in Alzheimer's disease. Psychopharmacology 1999;143(2):158‐65. - PubMed

References to studies excluded from this review

Jones 1992 {published data only}

1. 1. Jones GMM, Sahakian BJ, Levy R, Warburton DM, Gray JA. Effects of acute subcutaneous nicotine on attention, information processing and short‐term memory in Alzheimer's disease. Psychopharmacology 1992;108:485‐94. - PubMed

Knott 2000 {published data only}

1. 1. Knott V, Engeland C, Mohr E, Mahoney C, Ilivitsky V. Acute nicotine administration in Alzheimer's disease: an exploratory EEG study. Neuropsychobiology 2000;41(4):210‐20. - PubMed

Knott 2002 {published data only}

1. 1. Knott V, Mohr E, Mahoney C, Engeland C, Ilivisky V. Effects of acute nicotine administration on cognitive event‐related potentials in tacrine‐treated and non‐treated patients with Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychobiology 2002;45:156‐60. - PubMed

Newhouse 1988 {published data only}

1. 1. Newhouse PA, Sunderland T, Tariot PN, Blumhardt CL, Weingartner H, Mellow A, Murphy DL. Intravenous nicotine in Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study. Psychopharmacology 1988;95:171‐5. - PubMed

Newhouse 1990 {published data only}

1. 1. Newhouse PA, Sunderland T, Narang PK, Mellow AM, Fertig JB, Lawlor BA, et al. Neuroendocrin, physiologic, and inpatients with Alzheimer's disease. Psychoneuroendocrinology 1990;15(5‐6):471‐84. - PubMed

Parks 1994 {published data only}

1. 1. Parks RW, Young CS, Rippey RF, Danz V, Vohs C, Matthews JR, et al. Nicotinic stimulation of anterior regional cerebral glucose metabolism in Alzheimer's disease: preliminary study with transdermal patches. Alzheimer Disease: Therapeutic Strategies. Boston: Birkhauser, 1994:424‐7.

Sahakian 1989 {published data only}

1. 1. Sahakian B, Jones G, Levy R, Gray J, Warburton DM. The effects of nicotine on attention, information processing and short‐term memory. British Journal of Psychiatry 1989;154:797‐800. - PubMed

Sahakian 1994 {published data only}

1. 1. Sahakian BK, Coull JT. Nicotine and tetrahydroaminoacridine:evidence for improved attention in patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type. Drug Development and Research 1994;31(1):80‐8.

Snaedel 1996 {published data only}

1. 1. Snaedel J, Johannesson T, Jonsson JE, Gylfadottir G. The effects of nicotine in dermal plaster on cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Dementia 1996;7(1):47‐52. - PubMed

White 2004 {published data only}

1. 1. White HK, Levin ED. Chronic transdermal nicotine patch treatment effects on cognitive performance in age‐associated memory impairment. Psychopharmacology 2004;171:465‐71. - PubMed

Wilson 1995 {published data only}

1. 1. Wilson AL, Langley LK, Monley J, Bauer T, Rottunda S, McFalls E, et al. Nicotine patches in Alzheimer's disease: pilot study on learning, memory, and safety. Pharmacology and Biochemistry of Behavior 1995;51(2‐3):509‐14. - PubMed
2. 1. Wilson AL, McCarten JR, Langley LK, Bauer T, Monley J, Rottunda S, et al. Transdermal nicotine administration in Alzheimer's disease: effects on cognition, behavior and cardiac function. In: Iqbal K, Mortimer JA, Wimblad B, Wisniewki HM editor(s). Research Advances in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders. Chichester, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore: John Wiley and Sons, 1995:305‐14.

Additional references

Anand 1997

1. 1. Anand R, Hartman R, Gharabawi G. Worldwide clinical experience with Exelon, a new generation cholinesterase inhibitor, in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. European Journal of Neurology 1997;4(suppl 1):S37.

Araujo 1988

1. 1. Araujo D, Lapchak P, Collier B, Quirion S. Characterization of N‐[3H] methylcarbamylcholine binding sites and the effect of N‐methylcarbamylcholine on acetylcholine release in rat brain. Journal of Neurochemistry 1988;51:292‐9. - PubMed

Birks 2003

1. 1. Birks JS, Harvey R. Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 3. - PubMed

Blessed 1968

1. 1. Blessed G, Tomlinson BE, Roth M. The association between quantitative measures of dementia and of senile change in the cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. British Journal of Psychiatry 1968;114:797‐811. - PubMed

Boyd 2000

1. 1. Boyd E. Smoking and dementia in male British doctors. British Medical Journal 2000;321:378. - PMC - PubMed

Buccafusco 1991

1. 1. Buccafusco JJ, Jackson WJ. Beneficial effects of nicotine administered prior to a delayed mathing‐ to‐sample task in young and aged monkeys. Neurobiology of Aging 1991;12:233‐8. - PubMed

Calinas 2000

1. 1. Calinas‐Correia J. Politically engaged research on smoking. British Medical Journal 2000;321:378. - PubMed

Chalmers 1983

1. 1. Chalmers TC, Celano P, Sacks HS, Smith H, Jr. Bias in treatment assignment in controlled clinical trials. New England Journal of Medicine 1983;309:1358‐61. - PubMed

Court 2005

1. 1. Court JA, Johnson M, Religa D, Keverne J, Kalaria R, Jaros E, et al. Attenuation of Abeta deposition in the entorhinal cortex of normal elderly individuals associated with tobacco smoking. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2005;31(5):522‐35. - PubMed

De Jong 1989

1. 1. Jong R, Osterlund OW, Roy GW. Measurement of quality‐of‐life changes in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Clinical Therapeutics 1989;11(4):545‐54. - PubMed

Decker 1992

1. 1. Decker MW, Majchrzak MJ, Anderson DJ. Effects of nicotine on spatial memory deficits in rats with septal lesions. Brain Research 1992;572:281‐5. - PubMed

Doll 2000

1. 1. Doll R, Peto R, Boreham, Sutherland I. Smoking and dementia in male British doctors: prospective study. British Medical Journal 2000;320:1097‐102. - PMC - PubMed

Gentry 2000

1. 1. Gentry MV, Hammersley JJ, Hale CR, Nuwer PK, Meliska CJ. Nicotine patches improve mood and response speed in a lexical decision task. Addiction Behavior 2000;25:549‐57. - PubMed

Goldman 2001

1. 1. Goldman WP, Morris JC. Evidence that aged‐associated memory impairment is not a normal variant of aging. Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Disorders 2001;15(2):72‐9. - PubMed

Gotti 1997

1. 1. Gotti C, Fornasari D, Clementi F. Human neuronal nicotinic receptors. Progress in Neurobiology 1997;53:199‐237. - PubMed

Graham 2002

1. 1. Graham AJ, Martin‐Ruiz CM, Teaktong T, Ray MA, Court JA. Human brain nicotinic receptors their distribution and participation in neuropsychiatric disorders. Current Drug Targets CNS Neurological Disorders 2002;1:387‐97. - PubMed

Graves 1991

1. 1. Graves AB, Duijn CM, Chandra V, Fratiglioni L, Heyman A, Jorm AF, et al. Alcohol and tobacco consumption as risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a collaborative re‐analysis of case‐control studies. EURODEM Risk Factors Research Group. International Journal of Epidemiology 1991;20(Supplement 2):48‐57. - PubMed

Guy 1976

1. 1. Guy W (editor). ECDEU Assessment manual for psychopharmacology. Publication number 76‐388. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health, 1976.

Higgins 2005

1. 1. Higgins JPT, Green S, editors. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions [updated May 2005]. www.cochrane.org/resources/handbook/hbook.htm.

Howe 2001

1. 1. Howe MN, Price IR. Effects of transdermal nicotine on learning, memory, verbal fluency, concentration, and general health in a healthy sample at risk for dementia. International Psychogeriatrics 2001;13(4):465‐75. - PubMed

Launer 1999

1. 1. Launer LJ, Andersen K, Dewey ME, Letenneur L, Ott A, Amaducci LA, et al. Rates and risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's disease: results from EURODEM Incidence Research Group and Work Groups. European Studies of Dementia. Neurology 1999;52(1):78‐84. - PubMed

Lawton 1969

1. 1. Lawton MP, Brody E. Assessment of older people: self‐maintaining and instrmental activities of daily living. Gerontologist 1969;9:179‐86. - PubMed

Lee 1994

1. 1. Lee PN. Smoking and Alzheimer's disease: a review of the epidemiological evidence. Neuroepidemiology 1994;13:131‐44. - PubMed

Loy 2004

1. 1. Loy C, Schneider L. Galantamine for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2004, Issue 4. - PubMed

López‐Arrieta 1998

1. 1. López‐Arrieta JM, Rodríguez‐Artalejo F. Methodology, results and quality of clinical trials of tacrine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review of the literature. Age and Ageing 1998;2:161‐79. - PubMed

McKhann 1984

1. 1. McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan EM. Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS‐ADRDA Work Group under the auspicesof Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's disease. Neurology 1984;34:939‐44. - PubMed

Newhouse 1992

1. 1. Newhouse PA, Potter A, Corwin J, Lenox R. Acute nicotinic blockade produces cognitive impairment in normal humans. Psychopharmacology 1992;108(4):480‐4. - PubMed

Ott 1998

1. 1. Ott A, Slooter AJ, Hofman A, Harskamp F, Witteman JC, Broeckhoven C, et al. Smoking and risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in a population‐based cohort study: the Rotterdam Study. Lancet 1998;351(9119):1840‐3. - PubMed

Parrott 1989

1. 1. Parrott AC, Winder G. Nicotine chewing gum (2 mg, 4 mg) and cigarette smoking: comparative effects upon vigilance and heart rate. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 1989;97:257‐61. - PubMed

Putt 2002

1. 1. Putt ME, Ravina B. Randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel group versus crossover study designs for the study of dementia in Parkinson's disease. Controlled Clinical Trials 2002;23(2):111‐28. - PubMed

Reeves 1993

1. 1. Reeves D, Kane R, Winter K, Raynsford K, Pancella T. Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM): test administrator's guide version 1.0. St Louis: Missouri Institute of Mental Health, 1993.

Rosen 1984

1. 1. Rosen WG, Mohs RC, Davis KL. A new rating scale for Alzheimer's disease. American Journal of Psychiatry 1984;141:1356‐64. - PubMed

Schulz 1995

1. 1. Schulz KF, Chalmers I, Hayes RJ, Altman DG. Empirical evidence of bias: dimensions of methodological quality associated with estimates of treatment effects in controlled trials. Journal of the American Medical Association 1995;273:408‐12. - PubMed

Shaji 1996

1. 1. Shaji S, Promodu K, Abraham T, Roy KJ, Verghese A. An epidemiological study of dementia in a rural community in Kerala, India. British Journal of Psychiatry 1996;168(6):745‐9. - PubMed

Smith 1991

1. 1. Smith G, Ivnik RC, Petersen RC, Malec JF, Kokmen E, Tangalos E. Age‐associated memory impairment diagnoses:problems of reliability and concerns for terminology. Psychology and Aging 1991;6(4):551‐8. - PubMed

van Duijn 1995

1. 1. Duijn CM, Havekes LM, Broeckhoven CV, Knijff P, Hofman A. Apolipoprotein E genotype and association between smoking and early onset Alzheimer's disease. BMJ 1995;310:627‐31. - PMC - PubMed

Whitehouse 1982

1. 1. Whitehouse PT, Price DL, Struble RG, Clark AW, Coyle JT, DeLong MR. Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia: loss of neurons in the basal forebrain. Science 1982;215:1237‐9. - PubMed

Zanardi 2002

1. 1. Zanardi A, Leo G, Biagini G, Zoli M. Nicotine and neurodegeneration in ageing. Toxicology Letters 2002;127:207‐15. - PubMed

References to other published versions of this review

López‐Arrieta 2001

1. 1. López‐Arrieta JLA, Sanz FJ. Nicotine for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2001, Issue 2. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Europe PubMed Central
  • PubMed Central
  • Wiley

• Other Literature Sources

  • The Lens - Patent Citations Database

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information

• Research Materials

  • NCI CPTC Antibody Characterization Program