Key result
Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, with growing evidence of effectiveness in advanced stages and other forms of dementia.
Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are the primary approved pharmacological treatments for Alzheimer's disease, with emerging evidence for use in advanced stages and other dementias.
May support consideration beyond mild-moderate Alzheimer's; leaves open need for confirmatory randomized trials.
Dementia is a serious and growing problem that presents enormous burdens to patients, their families, and national healthcare systems throughout the world. In the United States, there are currently two classes of psychopharmacologic agents approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: the cholinesterase inhibitors, which are approved for use in patients with mild to moderate disease, and memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, which is approved for treatment of moderate to severe illness. Three cholinesterase inhibitors are in general clinical use, each of which has a distinct pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and side-effect profile. In addition, there is growing research and clinical evidence of the effectiveness of the cholinesterase inhibitors in patients who are in the more advanced stages of Alzheimer's dementia as well as in patients with other forms of dementia.
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Robert N. Rubey (2003) conducted a review in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Cholinesterase inhibitors was evaluated. Cholinesterase inhibitors are approved for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, with growing evidence of effectiveness in advanced stages and other forms of dementia.
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