Insulin Spray May Improve Memory in Alzheimers’ Patients
Insulin Spray May Improve Memory in Alzheimers’ Patients – According to a new study, insulin spray might be the answer to mild memory problems or cognitive impairment associated with early stages of Alzheimers or dementia.
The study was published in the February issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and involved a relatively small sample size of 60 adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Participants were given a nasal spray of 20- or 40-milligram doses of insulin detemir (Levemir), a man-made insulin that is longer acting than natural insulin, or a placebo daily for three weeks.
Those who received the higher dose of 40 milligrams of insulin showed an improvement in working memory, also known as short-term memory, while those who got the smaller dose or the placebo did not show any improvement. Among those in the 40-milligram group, those with the Alzheimer’s gene (APOE-e4) showed more improvement than non-carriers.
Loss of memory is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease, which later becomes progressively worse for the patients, affecting their ability to do simple tasks like eating and dressing to controlling emotions and solving problems.
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