Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that nasal insulin can improve cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Research published in the journal PLOS One.
The study’s authors conducted a meta-analysis of 29 high-quality studies involving more than 1,500 people. These included healthy people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, moderate cognitive impairment, Down syndrome, or Parkinson’s disease. The initial list of found publications included 2654 articles.
Researchers have found that long-term nasal administration of 40 units of insulin may be beneficial in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. For other disorders, treatment had no effect.
Previous research has shown that reduced brain sensitivity to insulin may be associated with the development of cognitive impairment. The intranasal delivery of insulin allows you to deliver it directly to the central nervous system. Using insulin in this way reduces the side effects of insulin and may become an adjunct treatment for dementia after more research on efficacy and safety is done.
Formerly doctors discoveredthat taking hormones during menopause is associated with an increased risk of dementia in women.