Close
Help




JOURNAL

Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics

Cognitive Enhancers in Moderate to Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

Submit a Paper


Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics 2011:3 459-476

Review

Published on 27 Oct 2011

DOI: 10.4137/CMT.S6344


Further metadata provided in PDF



Sign up for email alerts to receive notifications of new articles published in Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics

Abstract

The treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease is reviewed with regard to mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, safety/tolerability, and efficacy in reducing cognitive, behavioral/psychiatric, functional and global symptoms. The cholinesterase inhibitors donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor channel blocker memantine are moderately beneficial. Small improvements over a few months are followed by slowed mental decline. Concerning cognitive, functional and global functions, these drugs are similarly effective. Cholinesterase inhibitors also reduce apathy, memantine counteracts agitation and aggression. Serious adverse effects are rare with all four drugs. Cholinesterase inhibitors bear a risk for patients with cardiac diseases. Adverse emetic events are typical for oral formulations of these drugs, but less for rivastigmine transdermal patches. Other routes of administration and use of a galantamine prodrug are currently investigated. The superiority of combination therapies over monotherapies requires further support. Promising investigational drugs include the copper/zinc ionophore PBT2 and multifunctional hybrid molecules.



Downloads

PDF  (648.11 KB PDF FORMAT)

RIS citation   (ENDNOTE, REFERENCE MANAGER, PROCITE, REFWORKS)

BibTex citation   (BIBDESK, LATEX)


Sharing


What Your Colleagues Say About Clinical Medicine Insights: Therapeutics
My publishing experience with Libertas was truly an enjoyable experience.  I really appreciate the rapid response to my questions and support that I received as an author. I would highly recommend Libertas to other authors.
Dr Wanda C Reygaert (Oakland University William, Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, MI, USA)
More Testimonials

Quick Links


New article and journal news notification services
Email Alerts RSS Feeds
Facebook Google+ Twitter
Pinterest Tumblr YouTube