"Nicotine as a potential neuroprotective agent for Parkinson’s disease" published on NIH site - Nicotine as a potential neuroprotective agent for Parkinson’s disease
And the conclusion from the above:
"Concluding Remarks
Extensive evidence from epidemiological and basic research studies indicates that nicotine may represent a drug with potential for protection against Parkinson’s disease. Since nicotine acts at nAChRs, these data suggest that administration of nicotine and/or nAChR agonists in early Parkinson’s disease may slow down and/or halt disease progression. This would help ...... declines in motor function and also in non-motor deficits, including olfactory and autonomic problems, sleep disorders, cognitive declines, depression and pain 4, 7, 121, 122. In addition to a neuroprotective role, nicotine treatment may directly improve some of these non-motor complications as an extensive literature shows that acute nicotine and/or nAChR drugs facilitate cognitive performance, reduce pain and alleviate depression in experimental animal models."
And the conclusion from the above:
"Concluding Remarks
Extensive evidence from epidemiological and basic research studies indicates that nicotine may represent a drug with potential for protection against Parkinson’s disease. Since nicotine acts at nAChRs, these data suggest that administration of nicotine and/or nAChR agonists in early Parkinson’s disease may slow down and/or halt disease progression. This would help ...... declines in motor function and also in non-motor deficits, including olfactory and autonomic problems, sleep disorders, cognitive declines, depression and pain 4, 7, 121, 122. In addition to a neuroprotective role, nicotine treatment may directly improve some of these non-motor complications as an extensive literature shows that acute nicotine and/or nAChR drugs facilitate cognitive performance, reduce pain and alleviate depression in experimental animal models."