There is growing interest in the use of intranasally administered insulin for treating symptoms of early alzheimers and for improving memory and cognition in general.

An article published in Neurology in 2008 describes the results of a double-blind study of 25 participants with early alzheimers who were given either insulin or a placebo using an electronic atomizer, daily. They found that although blood glucose and insulin were unchanged with the treatment, the insulin-treated group retained more verbal information after a delay compared wth the placebo group. They also showed improved attention and functional status.

Intranasal insulin improves cognition and modulates beta-amyloid in early AD.