A multicenter U.S. study will be the first human trial to examine the efficacy and safety of using nicotine patches to treat mild cognitive impairment. The research follows earlier work on the effects of nicotine on motor and cognitive skills in patients with the neurodegenerative disorders Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Often difficult to diagnose because of the minimal degree of memory change, mild cognitive impairment is characterized by symptoms such as increased forgetfulness but not the disorientation, confusion, and impaired judgment typical of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies suggest that roughly12 percent of untreated patients with mild cognitive impairment will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in a year.

“Just like heart disease doesn’t start with a heart attack - it starts with years of cholesterol build-up - mild cognitive impairment may represent the early stages of memory loss prior to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Paul Newhouse, M.D., a leading investigator in the new study.

The researchers aim to enroll a total of 75 men and women at 3 study sites over a 3-year period. Initially, study participants will undergo a series of assessments similar to the process required for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, including interviews with family members, examinations by their physicians, and computerized testing. For the first 6 months, participants will be randomized to a nicotine or placebo patch. For the following 6 months, all participants will receive a nicotine patch. Participants will be assessed at 1 week, 1 month, and each month thereafter.