Scientists are also studying whether GLP-1s may be beneficial as a way to delay or prevent diseases like Alzheimer's
While researchers have questioned whether GLP-1s could help with Parkinson’s, a recent clinical trial did not show any overall impact. A large late-phase clinical trial of the drug for Alzheimer’s patients also failed to show that the medication significantly slowed cognitive and functional decline in patients, according to the report.
Still, many scientists are exploring whether GLP-1 drugs can act directly on the brain, and potentially reshape people’s nervous systems by reducing inflammation, improving their metabolisms and easing their stress.
The findings at the University of Colorado Anschutz, shared with the Post, were made as researchers studied young women taking GLP-1 medications to treat a common hormonal condition, PCOS, recently renamed to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome or PMOS.
Within a few months of GLP-1 use, patients’ brain connections in the salience network, which helps target attention, had multiplied, Allison Shapiro, the lead researcher, told The Post.
“We didn’t expect to see this effect, and we really don’t know what it means,” Shapiro said.
During the trial, Shapiro began scanning participants’ brains. The scans pointed researchers to the possibility that the condition may involve dysfunction in the hypothalamus — the part of the brain that regulates hunger, stress, sleep and hormones — and also contains a high concentration of GLP-1, according to the report.
The scans also indicated increased connectivity between different regions of the brain.
While many people have reported positive impacts of GLP-1s, some users have reported brain fog, while others say they experience less pleasure and are less motivated.
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