Nicotine therapeutic benefits: Difference between revisions

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Line 31:

='''ADD / ADHD / Attention / Cognition'''=

=== 2025 '''[https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntaf060/8078909 Nicotine improves working memory via augmenting BDNF levels through α7 nAChR: evidence from clinical and pre-clinical studies]''' ===

* While smoking has been associated with many negative consequences to human health, one possible benefit is that nicotine could improve cognitive functions. Previous studies have suggested that smoking may influence brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels.

* Our research revealed that tobacco product use led to an increase in working memory and human plasma BDNF levels. Furthermore, nicotine was responsible for the elevation in BDNF levels, which showed dose-dependent increases in both serum and the hippocampus, and improved memory performance.

* Animal study (rat)

* ''Yingyan Li, PhD, Xin Li, Yaning Fu, PhD, Wenjun Mou, Zuxin Chen, PhD, Ping Wu, PhD, Fanglin Liu, PhD, Huan Chen, PhD, Hongwei Hou, PhD, Qingyuan Hu, PhD: Nicotine & Tobacco Research'', ntaf060, <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf060</nowiki>

===2022 [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.845646/full Tobacco and ADHD: A Role of MAO-Inhibition in Nicotine Dependence and Alleviation of ADHD Symptoms]===

*"Our review of evidence supports the finding that individuals with ADHD are at greater vulnerability for both initiation and continuation of smoking (both cigarettes, e-cigarettes)."

*"Greater support for a “self-medication” model of ADHD and smoking includes not only nicotine but also MAO-inhibitors as dopamine agonists contained in cigarettes and e-cigarettes."

*Taylor, M. R., Carrasco, K., Carrasco, A., & Basu, A. (2022). Tobacco and ADHD: A Role of MAO-Inhibition in Nicotine Dependence and Alleviation of ADHD Symptoms. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 845646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.845646

*Funds for open access publication fees are contributed by the Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury and University of Canterbury library.

===2018 [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6018192/ Cognitive Effects of Nicotine: Recent Progress]===

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*Citation: Alexandra S. Potter, Paul A. Newhouse, Acute nicotine improves cognitive deficits in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Volume 88, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 407-417, ISSN 0091-3057, doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.09.014.

*Acknowledgements: This work was supported by: GCRC M01-00109 and Targacept Inc.

===2008 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2446482/ Transdermal Nicotine in Adult ADHD With Depression and Anxiety]===

*"This case report neither rules out the placebo effect, nor does it prove that transdermal nicotine is useful in managing adult ADHD with depression and anxiety. However, it does suggest that the beneficial effect of transdermal nicotine may be attributed to biobehavioral pathways common to chronic nicotine withdrawal and ADHD with depression and anxiety. Nicotine agonists and delivery systems may be new treatments for adult ADHD. Larger well-designed studies are warranted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of nicotine delivery systems in otherwise medically stable adults with ADHD accompanied by depression and anxiety. Further exploration of the nicotinic-cholinergic system may also expand our understanding of the neuropsychiatry underlying ADHD."

*Citation: Cocores JA. Transdermal nicotine in adult ADHD with depression and anxiety. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;10(3):253-4. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v10n0312f. PMID: 18615164; PMCID: PMC2446482.

*Dr. Cocores reports no financial affiliations or other relationships relevant to the subject of this letter.

===2007 [https://www.academia.edu/2412620/Smoking_to_self_medicate_attentional_and_emotional_dysfunctions Smoking to self-medicate attentional and emotional dysfunctions]===

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*[https://sci-hub.st/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.011 PDF Version]

*Citation: D.V. Poltavski, T. Petros, Effects of transdermal nicotine on attention in adult non-smokers with and without attentional deficits, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 87, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 614-624, ISSN 0031-9384, doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.011.

===2004: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC526783/ Nicotine as Therapy]===

* Yet few of the horrendous health effects of smoking are traceable to nicotine itself—cigarettes contain nearly 4,000 other compounds that play a role. Until recently, nicotine research has been driven primarily by nicotine's unparalleled power to keep people smoking, rather than its potential therapeutic uses.

* There's a cheap, common, and mostly safe drug, in daily use for centuries by hundreds of millions of people, that only lately has been investigated for its therapeutic potential for a long list of common ills. The list includes Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and even pain and obesity.

* People with depressive-spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and adult ADHD tend to smoke heavily, which suggested to researchers that nicotine may soothe their symptoms. Common to all these disorders is a failure of attention, an inability to concentrate on particular stimuli and screen out the rest. Nicotine helps.

* Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse have shown via functional magnetic resonance imaging that nicotine activates specific brain areas during tasks that demand attention

*Citation: Powledge TM. Nicotine as therapy. PLoS Biol. 2004 Nov;2(11):e404. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020404. Epub 2004 Nov 16. PMID: 15547644; PMCID: PMC526783

===2003: [https://www.academia.edu/2412608/Is_There_a_Link_Between_Adolescent_Cigarette_Smoking_and_Pharmacotherapy_for_ADHD Is There a Link Between Adolescent Cigarette Smoking and pharmacotherapy for ADHD?]===

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*The present study is an acute double-blind crossover administration of nicotine and placebo with smokers (n = 6) and nonsmokers (n = 11) diagnosed with adult ADHD. The drug was delivered via a transdermal patch at a dosage of 7 mg/day for nonsmokers and 21 mg/day for smokers. Results indicate significant clinician-rated global improvement, self-rated vigor and concentration, and improved performance on chronometric measures of attention and timing accuracy. Side effects were minimal. These acute results indicate the need for a longer clinical trial and a comparison with other stimulants in adult ADHD treatment.

*Citation: Conners CK, Levin ED, Sparrow E, Hinton SC, Erhardt D, Meck WH, Rose JE, March J. Nicotine and attention in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychopharmacol Bull. 1996;32(1):67-73. PMID: 8927677.

===Year Unknown: Article: [https://www.adxs.org/en/page/192/nicotine-as-a-medication-for-adhd Nicotine as a medication for ADHD]===

*Lists references

<br>

Line 517:

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='''COVID / Long COVID / Post-COVID Syndrome / Long-Haul COVID (SARS-CoV-2)'''=

*See Also: The Inflamation Section

===2025: [https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-025-00167-8 Long COVID – a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission?]===

*Conclusions: "A review of the literature indicates that a significant disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission might be a central issue for both LC/ME/CFS and PVS. The hypothesis of a viral blockade of nAChRs and the possibility of a competitive reversal of this blockade by LDTN has been corroborated by highly promising results in the broad application of this method to numerous patients. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine whether these preliminary results can be substantiated by evidence. However, LDTN application provides many patients with a method that offers a high probability of symptom relief with only minor side effects and represents an affordable therapeutic intervention for the majority of people affected worldwide. Furthermore, dose-finding studies are required to develop individually adapted therapy regimens with regard to dosage and duration of therapy."

*Citation: Leitzke, M., Roach, D.T., Hesse, S. et al. Long COVID – a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission?. Bioelectron Med 11, 5 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-025-00167-8

=== 2023: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37264452/ The controversial effect of smoking and nicotine in SARS-CoV-2 infection.] ===

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*Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the Philip Morris External Research Program and the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation.

*Key words: spinal cord injury; nicotine; neuronal nicotinic receptors; oxidative stress; inflammatory responses; nitric oxide synthase

<br>

= Stroke =

=== 2025: '''[https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntaf034/8005730?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false The protective effect of low-dose nicotine on ischemia stroke by maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier]''' ===

* Animal study (mice)

* These results demonstrate that nicotine treatment could alleviates the IS-compromised integrity of BBB by regulating the Wnt signal pathway through α7 nAChR.

* The study demonstrates that nicotine at low concentrations exerts neuro-protective effects by supporting the integrity of BBB and subsequent endothelial viability after ischemic stroke.

* Qianqian Pang, Xinyang Yan, Zheng Chen, Liang Yun, Jiang Qian, Zeyi Dong, Miao Wang, Wei Deng, Yao Fu, Tao Hai, Zhichao Chen, Xianfang Rong: Nicotine & Tobacco Research, ntaf034, <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf034</nowiki>

='''Tourette's Syndrome'''=

Line 1,544:

Line 1,585:

='''Suggested additions to this page'''=

===2025: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39921606/ The protective effect of low-dose nicotine on ischemia stroke by maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier]===

===2024: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0303720724003022?via%3Dihub Nicotine increases hepatocyte transthyretin turnover: a possible mechanism for the protective effect of smoking on preeclampsia?]===

===2011: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hipo.20806 Acute nicotine treatment prevents rem sleep deprivation-induced learning and memory impairment in rat]===

===2017: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.704 Nicotine-prevented learning and memory impairment in REM sleep-deprived rat is modulated by DREAM protein in the hippocampus]===

===2024: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39719676/ Effect of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Perioperative Pain Management and Opioid Requirement in Abstinent Tobacco Smokers Undergoing Spinal Fusion: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial]===

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 ='''ADD / ADHD / Attention / Cognition'''=
+=== 2025 '''[https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntaf060/8078909 Nicotine improves working memory via augmenting BDNF levels through α7 nAChR: evidence from clinical and pre-clinical studies]''' ===
+* While smoking has been associated with many negative consequences to human health, one possible benefit is that nicotine could improve cognitive functions. Previous studies have suggested that smoking may influence brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels.
+* Our research revealed that tobacco product use led to an increase in working memory and human plasma BDNF levels. Furthermore, nicotine was responsible for the elevation in BDNF levels, which showed dose-dependent increases in both serum and the hippocampus, and improved memory performance.
+* Animal study (rat)
+* ''Yingyan Li, PhD, Xin Li, Yaning Fu, PhD, Wenjun Mou, Zuxin Chen, PhD, Ping Wu, PhD, Fanglin Liu, PhD, Huan Chen, PhD, Hongwei Hou, PhD, Qingyuan Hu, PhD: Nicotine & Tobacco Research'', ntaf060, <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf060</nowiki>
+===2022 [https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.845646/full Tobacco and ADHD: A Role of MAO-Inhibition in Nicotine Dependence and Alleviation of ADHD Symptoms]===
+*"Our review of evidence supports the finding that individuals with ADHD are at greater vulnerability for both initiation and continuation of smoking (both cigarettes, e-cigarettes)."
+*"Greater support for a “self-medication” model of ADHD and smoking includes not only nicotine but also MAO-inhibitors as dopamine agonists contained in cigarettes and e-cigarettes."
+*Taylor, M. R., Carrasco, K., Carrasco, A., & Basu, A. (2022). Tobacco and ADHD: A Role of MAO-Inhibition in Nicotine Dependence and Alleviation of ADHD Symptoms. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 845646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.845646
+*Funds for open access publication fees are contributed by the Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury and University of Canterbury library.
 ===2018 [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6018192/ Cognitive Effects of Nicotine: Recent Progress]===
@@ Line 66: / Line 79: @@
 *Citation: Alexandra S. Potter, Paul A. Newhouse, Acute nicotine improves cognitive deficits in young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Volume 88, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 407-417, ISSN 0091-3057, doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.09.014.
 *Acknowledgements: This work was supported by: GCRC M01-00109 and Targacept Inc.
+===2008 [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2446482/ Transdermal Nicotine in Adult ADHD With Depression and Anxiety]===
+*"This case report neither rules out the placebo effect, nor does it prove that transdermal nicotine is useful in managing adult ADHD with depression and anxiety. However, it does suggest that the beneficial effect of transdermal nicotine may be attributed to biobehavioral pathways common to chronic nicotine withdrawal and ADHD with depression and anxiety. Nicotine agonists and delivery systems may be new treatments for adult ADHD. Larger well-designed studies are warranted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of nicotine delivery systems in otherwise medically stable adults with ADHD accompanied by depression and anxiety. Further exploration of the nicotinic-cholinergic system may also expand our understanding of the neuropsychiatry underlying ADHD."
+*Citation: Cocores JA. Transdermal nicotine in adult ADHD with depression and anxiety. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;10(3):253-4. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v10n0312f. PMID: 18615164; PMCID: PMC2446482.
+*Dr. Cocores reports no financial affiliations or other relationships relevant to the subject of this letter.
 ===2007 [https://www.academia.edu/2412620/Smoking_to_self_medicate_attentional_and_emotional_dysfunctions Smoking to self-medicate attentional and emotional dysfunctions]===
@@ Line 82: / Line 100: @@
 *[https://sci-hub.st/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.011 PDF Version]
 *Citation: D.V. Poltavski, T. Petros, Effects of transdermal nicotine on attention in adult non-smokers with and without attentional deficits, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 87, Issue 3, 2006, Pages 614-624, ISSN 0031-9384, doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.011.
+===2004: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC526783/ Nicotine as Therapy]===
+* Yet few of the horrendous health effects of smoking are traceable to nicotine itself—cigarettes contain nearly 4,000 other compounds that play a role. Until recently, nicotine research has been driven primarily by nicotine's unparalleled power to keep people smoking, rather than its potential therapeutic uses.
+* There's a cheap, common, and mostly safe drug, in daily use for centuries by hundreds of millions of people, that only lately has been investigated for its therapeutic potential for a long list of common ills. The list includes Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, depression and anxiety, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and even pain and obesity.
+* People with depressive-spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and adult ADHD tend to smoke heavily, which suggested to researchers that nicotine may soothe their symptoms. Common to all these disorders is a failure of attention, an inability to concentrate on particular stimuli and screen out the rest. Nicotine helps.
+* Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse have shown via functional magnetic resonance imaging that nicotine activates specific brain areas during tasks that demand attention
+*Citation: Powledge TM. Nicotine as therapy. PLoS Biol. 2004 Nov;2(11):e404. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0020404. Epub 2004 Nov 16. PMID: 15547644; PMCID: PMC526783
 ===2003: [https://www.academia.edu/2412608/Is_There_a_Link_Between_Adolescent_Cigarette_Smoking_and_Pharmacotherapy_for_ADHD   Is There a Link Between Adolescent Cigarette Smoking and pharmacotherapy for ADHD?]===
@@ Line 110: / Line 135: @@
 *The present study is an acute double-blind crossover administration of nicotine and placebo with smokers (n = 6) and nonsmokers (n = 11) diagnosed with adult ADHD. The drug was delivered via a transdermal patch at a dosage of 7 mg/day for nonsmokers and 21 mg/day for smokers. Results indicate significant clinician-rated global improvement, self-rated vigor and concentration, and improved performance on chronometric measures of attention and timing accuracy. Side effects were minimal. These acute results indicate the need for a longer clinical trial and a comparison with other stimulants in adult ADHD treatment.
 *Citation: Conners CK, Levin ED, Sparrow E, Hinton SC, Erhardt D, Meck WH, Rose JE, March J. Nicotine and attention in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychopharmacol Bull. 1996;32(1):67-73. PMID: 8927677.
+===Year Unknown: Article: [https://www.adxs.org/en/page/192/nicotine-as-a-medication-for-adhd Nicotine as a medication for ADHD]===
+*Lists references
 <br>
@@ Line 517: / Line 546: @@
 ='''COVID / Long COVID / Post-COVID Syndrome / Long-Haul COVID (SARS-CoV-2)'''=
 *See Also: The Inflamation Section
+===2025: [https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-025-00167-8 Long COVID – a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission?]===
+*Conclusions: "A review of the literature indicates that a significant disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission might be a central issue for both LC/ME/CFS and PVS. The hypothesis of a viral blockade of nAChRs and the possibility of a competitive reversal of this blockade by LDTN has been corroborated by highly promising results in the broad application of this method to numerous patients. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to determine whether these preliminary results can be substantiated by evidence. However, LDTN application provides many patients with a method that offers a high probability of symptom relief with only minor side effects and represents an affordable therapeutic intervention for the majority of people affected worldwide. Furthermore, dose-finding studies are required to develop individually adapted therapy regimens with regard to dosage and duration of therapy."
+*Citation: Leitzke, M., Roach, D.T., Hesse, S. et al. Long COVID – a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission?. Bioelectron Med 11, 5 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42234-025-00167-8
 === 2023: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37264452/ The controversial effect of smoking and nicotine in SARS-CoV-2 infection.] ===
@@ Line 1,462: / Line 1,495: @@
 *Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the Philip Morris External Research Program and the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation.
 *Key words: spinal cord injury; nicotine; neuronal nicotinic receptors; oxidative stress; inflammatory responses; nitric oxide synthase
-<br>
+= Stroke =
+=== 2025: '''[https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntaf034/8005730?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false The protective effect of low-dose nicotine on ischemia stroke by maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier]''' ===
+* Animal study (mice)
+* These results demonstrate that nicotine treatment could alleviates the IS-compromised integrity of BBB by regulating the Wnt signal pathway through α7 nAChR.
+* The study demonstrates that nicotine at low concentrations exerts neuro-protective effects by supporting the integrity of BBB and subsequent endothelial viability after ischemic stroke.
+* Qianqian Pang, Xinyang Yan, Zheng Chen, Liang Yun, Jiang Qian, Zeyi Dong, Miao Wang, Wei Deng, Yao Fu, Tao Hai, Zhichao Chen, Xianfang Rong: Nicotine & Tobacco Research, ntaf034, <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf034</nowiki>
 ='''Tourette's Syndrome'''=
@@ Line 1,544: / Line 1,585: @@
 ='''Suggested additions to this page'''=
+===2025: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39921606/ The protective effect of low-dose nicotine on ischemia stroke by maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier]===
 ===2024: [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0303720724003022?via%3Dihub Nicotine increases hepatocyte transthyretin turnover: a possible mechanism for the protective effect of smoking on preeclampsia?]===
+===2011: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hipo.20806 Acute nicotine treatment prevents rem sleep deprivation-induced learning and memory impairment in rat]===
+===2017: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.704 Nicotine-prevented learning and memory impairment in REM sleep-deprived rat is modulated by DREAM protein in the hippocampus]===
 ===2024: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39719676/ Effect of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Perioperative Pain Management and Opioid Requirement in Abstinent Tobacco Smokers Undergoing Spinal Fusion: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial]===