Nicotine normalizes brain activity deficits that are key to schizophrenia

[Painter_]

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-01-nicotine-brain-deficits-key-schizophrenia.html

"Our study provides compelling biological evidence that a specific genetic variant contributes to risk for schizophrenia, defines the mechanism responsible for the effect and validates that nicotine improves that deficit,"

 

[anavidfan]

Ive heard this for a few years.

My brother is schizo-effective and he smokes on and off.

Problem is once he starts smoking he goes from 0 a day to as many packs as he can afford to smoke a day. He starts to cough like a maniac and gets sick. Fortunately, he can just stop without any real problems.

I tried to get him to vape, but he just cant do it. I tired many set ups, but he just cant use any of them unless he was to live here with me and I would set him up all day. He can barely handle having a cell phone or any electronics without breaking them or just not figuring out how to use.

He still leaves his phones charging over night and he'd leave the cig-alikes charging all night. He also could not tell when the atomizer, carto etc was dried out and burning.

I can tell when he does have nicotine that he seems better but he just cant do anything in measures.

 

[Rossum]

Ive heard this for a few years.

My brother is schizo-effective and he smokes on and off.

Problem is once he starts smoking he goes from 0 a day to as many packs as he can afford to smoke a day. He starts to cough like a maniac and gets sick. Fortunately, he can just stop without any real problems.

I tried to get him to vape, but he just cant do it. I tired many set ups, but he just cant use any of them unless he was to live here with me and I would set him up all day. He can barely handle having a cell phone or any electronics without breaking them or just not figuring out how to use.

He still leaves his phones charging over night and he'd leave the cig-alikes charging all night. He also could not tell when the atomizer, carto etc was dried out and burning.

I can tell when he does have nicotine that he seems better but he just cant do anything in measures.

Has he tried any other form of NRT?

 

[anavidfan]

I have suggested a patch or gum, but he chews it all up as soon as the flavor is gone, and we are afraid he might misuse the patches.

Its a tough thing to keep him balanced from mania to sloth mode.
Its sad, he was a brilliant artist and photographer but he also got extremely delusional and violent.

Now he is stable and aware, but he cant take photos or do any of his wonderful artwork. Its the price of his being safe to himself and others.

 

[Stubby]

I would suggest snus or some other form of smokeless tobacco to help keep him more balanced. It is far less risky then smoking and at least equal to vaping as far as harm reduction.

 

[VictorC]

Not surprised . The fact that nicotine helps with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's is a well known fact for a decade.
"DHD sufferers benefit from nicotine, gaining greater concentration abilities and better response time."
Nicotine helps Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Patients -- Sott.net

 

[pianoguy]

Smoking will probably kill my schizophrenic sister-in-law. I tried setting her up with cig-alikes, but it was a similar outcome as what anavidfan mentioned above. I think the act of smoking helps calm her as well. It's really a shame, she could be using a much healthier alternative that costs pennies a day, if someone was there to keep her setup in order.

 

[SinQuaNon]

Well it is good to see some evidence on what we knew for a while now,
I would like to see its effects studied on OCD, ADHD and BiPolar.

 

[Doctorvapes]

I'm schizo affective and so is my girlfriend. We are both former smokers who now vape. When I was a smoker my doctor told me that smoking was helping control my mood and when she was smoking her doctor advised her not to quit cold turkey as it would increase her symptoms. I could never just quit for these reasons.. I am so thankful for vaping.