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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rgreene on July 14, 2002, at 19:50:17
I have heard of at least one dopaminergic substance that is supposed to enhance brain health and increase longevity (perhaps some of the older antidepressants in low doses?). I'm wondering if anyone with knowledge of brain chemistry knows whether Adderall, or other similar medications, might also (in theory or supported by research) enhance brain health or longevity. Thanks.
Posted by katekite on July 14, 2002, at 22:09:22
In reply to dopamine and brain health, posted by rgreene on July 14, 2002, at 19:50:17
Haven't heard of any research increase (or decrease) lifespan, except deprenyl. Deprenyl (selegiline) was shown in one study to increase lifespan and then another to actually decrease it: but then a big study compared all the studies and showed none of the effects were significant -- it seems to have no effect either way.
Haven't seen anything on other drugs but that doesn't mean its not out there.
Theoretically, the only way I can see stimulants helping would be by keeping someone thin.... there is good evidence that caloric restriction in rats makes them live much longer (ie they are more active and probably healthier than rats fed as much as they want). Or maybe stimulating drugs would keep us more active later in life? So very indirect if anything.
Curious to hear if anyone has heard anything else.
Have read somewhere that piracetam, aniracetam may be longevity promoting, at least in rats. Those are nootropics ('smart' drugs), used in dementia. Which I'd like to try...
kate
Posted by turalizz on July 15, 2002, at 4:21:25
In reply to Re: dopamine and brain health, posted by katekite on July 14, 2002, at 22:09:22
Selegiline and Vitamin E Study: A Double-Blind, Placebo-controlled Multicenter Study to Examine the Safety and Efficacy of Selegiline and a-Tocopherol in the Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease
Project Director:
Mary Sano, Ph.D.
Co-Investigators:
John Growdon, M.D.
L. Robert Hill, Ph.D.
Leon Thal, M.D.BACKGROUND: There is evidence that medications or vitamins that increase the levels of brain catecholamines and protect against oxidative damage may reduce the neuronal damage and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
METHODS: We conducted a double- blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter trial in patients with Alzheimer's disease of moderate severity. A total of 341 patients received the selective monoamine oxidase inhibitor selegiline (10 mg a day), alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E, 2000 IU a day), both selegiline and alpha-tocopherol, or placebo for two years. The primary outcome was the time to the occurrence of any of the following: death, institutionalization, loss of the ability to perform basic activities of daily living, or severe dementia (defined as a Clinical Dementia Rating of 3).
RESULTS: Despite random assignment, the baseline score on the Mini-Mental State Examination was higher in the placebo group than in the other three groups, and this variable was highly predictive of the primary outcome (P<0.001). In the unadjusted analyses, there was no statistically significant difference in the outcomes among the four groups. In analyses that included the base-line score on the Mini- Mental State Examination as a covariate, there were significant delays in the time to the primary outcome for the patients treated with selegiline (median time, 655 days; P=0.012), alpha-tocopherol (670 days, P=0.001) or combination therapy (585 days, P=0.049), as compared with the placebo group (440 days).
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderately severe impairment from Alzheimer's disease, treatment with selegiline or alpha-tocopherol slows the progression of disease.
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