Medication For Alzheimer's Might Also Help Shopaholics
Compulsive shopping is a habit that often results in being in debt. But now there's a new pill that shows promise in helping compulsive shoppers curb their devastating habit.
The medication known as 'memantine' is normally prescribed to prevent deterioration in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s. When psychiatrists handed out these pills to shopaholics, tests showed they spent less time shopping and reduced their usual amount spent on impulse buys.
The medication known as 'memantine' is normally prescribed to prevent deterioration in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer’s. When psychiatrists handed out these pills to shopaholics, tests showed they spent less time shopping and reduced their usual amount spent on impulse buys.
‘Hours spent shopping per week and money spent shopping both decreased significantly, with no side effects,’ said the team of psychiatrists from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
It seems that the pills targeted the brain function linked to impulsive urges, thoughts and compulsive behaviour:‘Our findings suggest that pharmacologic manipulation of the glutamate system may target the impulsive behaviour underlying compulsive buying,’ said the researchers.
