Nicotine studied as treatment for brain disorders

Boston Globe ^ | 11/12/2003 | Carey Goldberg

[A. Pole]

Scientists reported yesterday that nicotine seems to diminish mental impairment stemming from stress or an underactive thyroid -- the latest in a growing body of evidence that the long vilified substance may help people with brain disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.

[A. Pole]

Most of the risk associated with smoking comes from inhaling (first hand while second hand is a false PC myth). Smoke pipe or cigars and the gain might be bigger than the risk.

[per loin]

No wonder so many non-smokers are nuts.

[JennysCool]

nicotine seems to diminish mental impairment stemming from stress

THAT'S WHY PEOPLE SMOKE IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU LAB-COATED IDJITS!!!

Oh, excuse me.

Science -- aided by research grant -- once again invents the wheel.

[Gabz]

Levin said that money for the research is coming from pharmaceutical companies, federal grant-givers, charitable foundations, and tobacco companies. The tobacco money tends to be given in a ''very gingerly way'' -- putting no pressure on researchers for desired results -- because the companies have had so much bad publicity, he said.

UH-OH of this list of funding sources the gnatzies will only pick up of big bad tobacco - leaving out the fact that of course the pharmaceuticals are the ones that will reap the benefit of synthesized products.

idiots.

[JennysCool]

You ain't kiddin. My best guess is a chart of the rise of general insanity in America would track EXACTLY with one charting the decline in nicotine use.

[Gabz]

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CSM]

Good post, your cool.

[VRWC_minion]

That explains it. Smokers are self medicated people with brain disorders.

[Aracelis]

No wonder so many non-smokers are nuts.

LOL!

[A. Pole]

UH-OH of this list of funding sources the gnatzies will only pick up of big bad tobacco - leaving out the fact that of course the pharmaceuticals are the ones that will reap the benefit of synthesized products.

The real and better stuff will be forbidden together with the cheaper pharmaceutical version from Canada. The invisible hand of "free" market at work!

[CSM]

"The tobacco money tends to be given in a ''very gingerly way'' -- putting no pressure on researchers for desired results --"

I thought the opposite was the case, the tobacco companies are the only ones with an agenda and they scew all studies to fit that agenda.

[Gabz]

Of course the opposite is true - as long as you believe the pharaceutical funded antis that is.

[VadeRetro]

... a child who eats a cigarette is in serious danger...

Yes. A kid who will eat a cigarette will eat anything.

[FITZ]

That explains it. Smokers are self medicated people with brain disorders.

It could be true --- I knew a doctor who said that stress kills --- and smokers turn to cigarettes to relieve their stress and if they didn't, the stress would kill them before the cigarettes could. He was serious about it too, and he was a smoker.

[aruanan]

Scientists reported yesterday that nicotine seems to diminish mental impairment stemming from stress or an underactive thyroid -- the latest in a growing body of evidence that the long vilified substance may help people with brain disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to schizophrenia.

Long vilified only by those who know nothing more about it than as a component of tobacco. The brain and muscles have nicotinic acid receptors, so the nicotine is obviously used for something. The reason tobacco works successfully as a drug is because it is able to modulate neurochemical release.

[aruanan]

No wonder so many non-smokers are nuts.

And vice versa. At a recent talk I went to on nicotinic acid receptors in the brain, the speaker related how he had mentioned to an audience of MDs that most schizophrenics were smokers. He said the doctors laughed and said, "What do you mean "most"?" They thought that virtually all of them were. Nicotine receptor activity in the brain (among other things) modulates the dopaminergic system.

[per loin]

Yes, smoking not only ameliorates schizophrenia, but also Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. It also enhances cognitive functioning. On the other hand, non-smoking abets obesity.

[Mears]

What's the dopaminergic system?

[aruanan]

Yes, smoking not only ameliorates schizophrenia, but also Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.

The data's supposed to be inconclusive on Alzheimer's. Some even thought that perhaps it was due to smokers dying off before they could develop Alzheimer's but controls using an early onset form of Alzheimer's showed the shaky data was not due to this. The neat thing about Parkinson's is that if you have ever been a smoker, you've a degree of protection.

[Great Dane]

My husband only smokes the pipe, I have tried it, but can't keep the darn thing lit. :-}