Vanderbilt researchers try nicotine to treat depression, memory loss

Two Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers are looking at the effects a nicotine patch could have on cognitive function — one in memory loss and the other in depression. 

Dr. Paul Newhouse, director of the Center for Cognitive Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at VUMC, is enrolling participants for the Memory Improvement Through Nicotine Dosing (MIND) study. The study’s aim is to determine whether the nicotine patch typically used for smoking cessation can improve memory and reduce the risk of additional memory loss over time. With 300 participants to date, Newhouse is looking to get up to 400 people to complete the two-year study, conducted at 42 sites nationally, including Nashville.