Insulin spray improves memory
A pilot clinical study conducted under the guidance of specialists from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center showed that the use of a synthetic insulin analog in the form of a spray for intranasal administration improves short-term memory and other cognitive functions of adults with moderate cognitive impairment and dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease (dementia).
The study involved 60 adult patients diagnosed with moderate amnesic cognitive impairment or mild or moderate dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. All participants were divided into three groups. For 21 days, one group received 40 international units of insulin intranasally daily, and the second group received 20 international units of insulin in the form of a synthetic drug of prolonged action known as insulin detemir. The control group received a placebo.
The administration of a higher dose of the drug provided significantly more pronounced improvements in the short-term ability to memorize and process verbal and visual information compared with the results obtained in the group receiving a lower dosage of the drug and the placebo group.
In addition, when passing memory tests, patients who received a high dosage of the drug and were carriers of a variant of the apolipoprotein E gene, known as APOE-e4, that increased the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, showed significantly higher results than patients in the lower dosage group of the drug and the control group. Participants who did not have this genetic variant showed the worst results in all three groups.
Earlier clinical studies have demonstrated promising results of intranasal insulin administration for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease and moderate cognitive impairment. However, in this work, detemir insulin was used for the first time, which has a longer effect on the body compared to traditional forms of insulin. The results obtained are very promising, since the pronounced positive effects of the drug were accompanied by only minor side reactions.
The authors also note that the intranasal administration of prolonged-acting insulin significantly improves the cognitive function of patients carrying the APOE-e4 gene, who practically do not respond to existing therapeutic approaches and interventions.
Test results for verbal (top) and visual (bottom)
working memory in three groups of subjects
In general, the results of the study indicate the need for further study of the therapeutic value of prolonged-acting insulin as a means for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Article by Claxton A et al. Long-Acting Intranasal Insulin Detemir Improves Cognition for Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment or Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease Dementia is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center via Newswise:
Nasal Spray with Insulin Equivalent Shows Promise as Treatment for Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Dementia.
12.01.2015