Doctors at the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) are urging caution over recent claims in the national press that an insulin based nasal spray can improve memory.

There are around 400,000 people in the UK living with epilepsy, and some experience memory problems induced by seizures or anti-epileptic medication.

NSE's Head of Psychology Dr Pam Thompson said:  "I would welcome a drug that improves memory for people with epilepsy and indeed those without.  At this stage in the research into this nasal spray I would urge caution. Over the years many drugs and other compounds have come this far and been promoted on the basis of small scale studies as having memory enhancing properties only to have this unsupported by larger scale investigations."

Exactly how the insulin works on the memory is not clear but researchers believe it could be connected with the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in memory which also has a number of nerve cells that respond to insulin.

Dr Thompson said:  "The researchers suggest the insulin composition in the hippocampal regions of the brain is altered.  These structures are indeed important for memory but they are also implicated in epilepsy and it would need to be established that insulin taken nasally or by other means does not have any adverse effect on seizures  

"It cannot be assumed that the action of a drug is the same in a normal brain structure as in one that is malfunctioning in some way, as is the case in certain types of epilepsy.  

"Before people with epilepsy rush out to offer themselves as volunteers in any future large-scale research project some evidence is needed that this nasal spray is unlikely to have any negative impact on seizure occurrence or frequency.  The effect of seizures recurring in people with controlled epilepsy but memory problems could be potentially devastating."

NSE has an information leaflet 'Living with epilepsy and memory difficulties.'  For further information log on to www.epilepsynse.org.uk or call the NSE helpline 01494 601400 (Monday-Friday 10am-4pm ).

(2/9/04)