Desmopressin – ‘remember the future’

We’ve probably all been in that excruciatingly embarrassing situation – you have been asked to give a speech but as you stand there ready to start, your nerves get the better of you and your memory goes blank. You can’t remember a single word of what you were going to say and you just wish the earth would open up and swallow you. Or you find yourself in that desperate situation – you have just turned over your exam paper and again your memory goes completely blank.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could take something that could help you through these situations?

Rather than worrying about whether you will remember everything, help is at hand in the form of Desmopressin.

What is Desmopressin?

Desmopressin is a man-made form of vasopressin, a hormone that occurs naturally in the brain of most mammals including humans. Confusingly vasopressin is also known referred to as arginine vasopressin (AVP), argipressin or, more commonly, anti diuretic hormone (ADH). Desmopressin replaces earlier animal sourced vasopressins such as Lypressin and Pitressin. Desmopressin is more potent than these earlier forms.

What is Vasopressin and what does it do?

Vasopressin is a peptide hormone, most of it is stored in the posterior pituitary, one of the lobes of the pituitary gland – a pea sized gland located at the base of the brain. From here it is released into the blood stream when needed. However, some vasopressin is also released directly into the brain.

The primary function of vasopressin is to regulate the body’s retention of water which also affects the amount of salt in your body. When you are dehydrated, vasopressin is released which causes the kidneys to conserve water. Urine becomes concentrated and the need to urinate lessens because the volume of urine has been reduced.

Vasopressin also raises blood pressure by narrowing the blood vessels (caused by contraction of the muscular walls of these vessels). Vasopressin also aids temperature regulation through vasoconstriction. When you are cold, capillaries near to the skin’s surface constrict preventing the blood supply from flowing there which means that the body will lose less heat.

In addition to the above, vasopressin is known to have a number of neurological effects on the brain. In particular, vasopressin has been implicated in the formation of memories. It is believed that it is partly responsible for “inserting memories in to the hippocampus” – the part of the brain where memories are stored. It is also involved in aggression.

What is Desmopressin used for?

Memory enhancement

Desmopressin falls into a class of drugs known as nootropics, often referred to as "smart drugs", “smart nutrients”, "cognitive enhancers" or "brain enhancers". The word nootropic itself is derived from the Greek words ”noos”, or ”mind”, and ”tropein”, which means to bend or turn. Nootropic drugs seek to improve the functions and capacities of the brain i.e. to improve or enhance cognitive ability.

As we have already mentioned above, vasopressin is linked directly to memory formation and it is in this regard that Desmopressin is used to treat people suffering from amnesia.

However it is useful for those seeking to aid their short term memory. Most drugs that seek to help with memory help us to remember past events more easily. Conversely, as vasopressin is (a) directly linked to the formation of new memories, and (b) the imprinting or insertion of those memories into the hippocampus where those memories will be stored, Desmopressin can help us to remember the future!

This probably sounds ridiculous – how can you remember something that has not even happened? But if you take Desmopressin before something has happened, the memory of that event will be even more firmly imprinted into your memory which means, of course, that you will be able to recall it at a later date with much more clarity.

Because of its ability to help imprint new information into our memory, Desmopressin can be really useful when you are trying to learn large amounts of new information. Not only will you be able to memorize it more easily but you will be able to recall it with much more detail later. Whether it’s cramming for exams or trying to memorize a speech or lecture, or trying to retain lots of information before a business meeting, using Desmopressin can really put you at the top of your game.

Bed-Wetting

Because of its ability in helping to control frequent urination, many parents use Desmopressin to help their child if the child suffers from nocturnal bedwetting problems.

Prostate Problems

Men suffering from prostate problems may also find it helpful. The need to urinate frequently during the night is a major issue for men with prostate problems. Although Desmopressin does not have any direct effect on the prostate, it does reduce the amount of urine produced which can lead to fewer night time visits to the bathroom, and therefore, fewer sleep interruptions.

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a condition characterized by extreme thirst and the excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, which continues unabated even when fluid intake is restricted. It should not be confused with diabetes mellitus, even though similar symptoms are displayed. There are several forms of DI:

Aging Memory Problems

Unfortunately, levels of vasopressin in the brain decline with age. Desmopressin can therefore, also be useful in treating memory problems due to aging, senile dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Korsakoff's Syndrome and amnesia. Moreover, Desmopressin can improve both mood and memory in the elderly and those suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Other Medical Conditions

Desmopressin can also be used treat or prevent bleeding in patients with mild hemophilia A or certain types of von Willebrand's disease. Because of its effects on the brain, Desmopressin may be used to treat patients with narcotic related mental problems.