A unique treatment that uses insulin in the form of a nasal spray shows promise for boosting memory in men and women with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study in the online edition of the Archives of Neurology.
In a four-month study, participants with either mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment who received a low dose of insulin fared better on memory tests than those who received a placebo.
Researchers selected 104 men and women for the study, dividing them into three groups. Using a nasal spray, each group received twice-daily doses of either lower or higher doses of insulin or a placebo. The study found that men and women who used the lower dose of insulin nasal spray tended to score better on memory tests than those who used the placebo. No improvement was seen in those receiving the higher insulin dose. Both groups receiving insulin preserved their level of daily functioning while participants in the placebo group showed an overall decline in function.