Not so bad: Nicotine restores brain function in schizophrenic patients | Health - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Not so bad: Nicotine restores brain function in schizophrenic patients

IANS | By
Jan 24, 2017 06:46 PM IST

It is real good news for smokers who often look for obscure health benefits of nicotine to validate their addiction. Now you have science backing you. Turns out nicotine may help restore the brain activity of people suffering from schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder that affects 51 million people worldwide.

It is real good news for smokers who often look for obscure health benefits of nicotine to validate their addiction. Now you have science backing you. Turns out nicotine may help restore the brain activity of people suffering from schizophrenia, a psychiatric disorder that affects 51 million people worldwide.

Nicotine consumption isn't all that bad after all.(Shutterstock)
Nicotine consumption isn't all that bad after all.(Shutterstock)

The findings of a new study showed that when mice with schizophrenic characteristics were given nicotine daily, their sluggish brain activity increased within two days and within a week it was normalised.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“Since the repeated administration of nicotine restores normal activity to the prefrontal cortex, it could pave the way for a possible therapeutic target for the treatment of schizophrenia,” said lead author Uwe Maskos from Integrative Neurobiology of Cholinergic Systems Unit or Institut Pasteur — a French non-profit private foundation.

The chemical combinations responsible for our emotions. (Shutterstock)
The chemical combinations responsible for our emotions. (Shutterstock)

It has been observed that schizophrenic patients often use smoking as a form of self-medication to alleviate the deficit symptoms caused by their disorder or to combat the serious side effects of their treatment — lethargy, lack of motivation, etc.

Patients with schizophrenia — 80 to 90 per cent of whom are often heavy smokers — have impairments in the prefrontal cortex — the brain region associated with cognition, decision-making and working memory.

Recently, the genetic mutation CHRNA5, which encodes a nicotinic receptor subunit, was identified as being associated with the cognitive impairments in schizophrenic patients and with nicotine dependence.

In the new study, scientists introduced the human CHRNA5 gene into mice with the aim of reproducing the cerebral deficits that characterise schizophrenia, namely behavioural deficits in situations of social interaction and while performing sensorimotor tasks.

The results showed that mice with the CHRNA5 mutation had reduced activity in their prefrontal cortex.

The drop in activity measured in this model is similar to that observed in patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and addiction, the researchers said.

The study was published online in the journal Nature Medicine.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

Oscars 2024: Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On