Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives

by Daniel J. Levitin

To a neuroscientist, nicotine is in many ways the perfect drug for cognitive enhancement. It increases vigilance, attention, focus, memory, and creativity, and it refines motor skills, all without causing the jitters or stress that usually accompany stimulants—in fact, it tends to reduce stress. In particular, nicotine enhances attention by deactivating areas of the default mode, such as the posterior cingulate. It is being considered as a treatment for late-life depression and Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, where it is believed to have neuroprotective effects. Scientific American touted nicotine as the next smart drug. The problem with nicotine is that the most common delivery systems, smoking and chewing, cause cancer. Even with other delivery systems, such as gum, patches, and the new mouth sprays, it is highly addictive. It can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation, it can cause nausea, and in rodents it promotes cancer growth. In large doses nicotine is a poison, an evolutionary adaptation in the leaves of the tobacco plants to prevent insects from eating it. Humans can tolerate it in small doses, however, and if you get the dose right, you might get the benefits without the drawbacks. To minimize the possibility of addiction, it’s best to use it occasionally, for focus and energy, and not for more than a few days in a row.