Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease causes incresing neurodegeneration of the brain, leading to accelerated memory loss. The incorrect folding of proteins leads to the formation of amyloid plaques. Current research aims to determine if such plaques are the result of, or the cause of, Alzheimer's disease.
Treatment
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Currently available medications offer relatively small symptomatic benefit for some patients but do not slow disease progression. The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry published a consensus statement on Alzheimer's treatment in 2006.[1]
Atypical antipsychotics
A systematic review found that the atypical antipsychotics risperidone and olanzapine showed the most benefit of all drugs; however they may increased the risk of stroke.[2]
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
Randomized controlled trials showed either small or absent benefit from acetylcholinesterase inhibitors[3] such as donepezil.[4][5]
N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists
The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist memantine has shown effectiveness.[6]
References
- ↑ Lyketsos CG, Colenda CC, Beck C, et al (2006). "Position statement of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry regarding principles of care for patients with dementia resulting from Alzheimer disease". The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 14 (7): 561–72. DOI:10.1097/01.JGP.0000221334.65330.55. PMID 16816009. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Sink KM, Holden KF, Yaffe K (2005). "Pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia: a review of the evidence". JAMA 293 (5): 596–608. DOI:10.1001/jama.293.5.596. PMID 15687315. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Kaduszkiewicz H, Zimmermann T, Beck-Bornholdt H, van den Bussche H (2005). "Cholinesterase inhibitors for patients with Alzheimer's disease: systematic review of randomised clinical trials.". BMJ 331 (7512): 321-7. PMID 16081444.
- ↑ Howard RJ, Juszczak E, Ballard CG, et al (2007). "Donepezil for the treatment of agitation in Alzheimer's disease". N. Engl. J. Med. 357 (14): 1382–92. DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa066583. PMID 17914039. Research Blogging.
- ↑ Courtney C, Farrell D, Gray R, Hills R, Lynch L, Sellwood E, Edwards S, Hardyman W, Raftery J, Crome P, Lendon C, Shaw H, Bentham P (2004). "Long-term donepezil treatment in 565 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD2000): randomised double-blind trial.". Lancet 363 (9427): 2105-15. PMID 15220031.
- ↑ Areosa Sastre A, McShane R, Sherriff F. "Memantine for dementia.". Cochrane Database Syst Rev: CD003154. PMID 15495043.