New Study May Have Implications For Cerebral Palsy

The findings of a recent study on a type of vitamin B3 known as nicotinamide may have positive implications for children born with various neurological diseases, including cerebral palsy.

Researchers at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University were trying to determine if nicotinamide could reverse the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and perhaps be used as a preventative therapy.

The scientists administered ethanol (a type of alcohol) and nicotinamide to seven-day-old mice, an age of brain development comparable to the third trimester in humans. The findings showed that nicotinamide was effective at reducing, and in some cases reversing, the effects of ethanol.

According to the study, nicotinamide successfully reduced the damage in the areas of the brain most sensitive to ethanol, namely the areas responsible for cognitive, memory, and sensory functioning.

The study also found that nicotinamide reversed certain other effects of ethanol exposure, including increased hyperactivity and decreased fear. Nicotinamide also seemed effective at preventing ethanol-induced memory and learning impairment.

This evidence suggests that the vitamin is neuroprotective, having the ability to protect brain cells from various types of damage. Researchers believe that this feature of nicotinamide may extend its use to include preventative neurological treatments.

Nicotinamide has been shown to be a safe vitamin with little or no side effects.