Previous studies have shown smokers could improve cognitive function by quitting smoking and other studies have found attention and memory improvement in people with Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, researchers at the American Academy of Neurology looked at nicotine in people with mild cognitive impairment – the stage between normal aging and dementia when people have mild memory or thinking problems but no significant disability.

Dr. Kim D. Janda, a Scripps Research Institute professor, is one of the leading experts, having made addiction vaccines his main priority for the past 25 years. “We view this as an alternative or better way for some people,” he tells The New York Times in reference to rehab programs.