Unusual Nasal Spray Improves Memory and Thinking Skills
Yale School of Medicine: an insulin nasal spray improves memory in obese teens and strengthens connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex.
Yale School of Medicine: an insulin nasal spray improves memory in obese teens and strengthens connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex.
An insulin nasal spray may improve cognitive performance in adolescents with obesity and prediabetes. Insulin is typically used to regulate blood sugar and metabolism in people with diabetes. But the spray delivers the hormone directly to the brain, strengthening memory and improving connectivity between brain regions responsible for cognitive function.
Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine reported on the spray's benefits. According to them, obesity has a negative impact on memory, and insulin may be able to reverse changes in the brain. Earlier studies had already demonstrated that insulin can enter the brain, affecting areas important for memory and appetite.
Scientists recruited adolescents with a high body mass index. The teens were divided into two groups: the first received intranasal insulin, while the second received a placebo. The main group performed better on memory tasks. Furthermore, brain scans showed strengthened connectivity between the left and right sides of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These brain regions play a role in working memory, reasoning, and cognitive flexibility (the ability to switch between thoughts about two different concepts).
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