Effects of transdermal nicotine delivery on cognitive outcomes: A meta‐analysis

Objective By the association of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain, nicotine in the therapeutic window lowers neuronal damage and raises protective factors. These data, however, are contradicted by other findings. Here, we assessed the effects of transdermal nicotine administration on cognitive functions in healthy non‐smoker adults by systematic review and meta‐analysis of clinical trials. Methods We included reports of clinical trials comparing the effects of nicotine patches with placebo in healthy non‐smoking adults. The main outcome was the impact of nicotine patches on overall cognitive function with a focus on attention and memory. Standard meta‐analytic and statistical methods measured the effect of transdermal nicotine compared with placebo patches. Results We included 31 publications involving 978 subjects. Nicotine patches boosted cognitive function in healthy adults (0.233 SMD, 95%CI, 0.111–0.355, p