Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease

BMJ 1999;318:615-616 ( 6 March )

Editorials

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease

More benefit may arise from the assessments they necessitate

Papers p 633

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The development of effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease has been vigorously pursued over the past few decades. Mostrecent developments have focused on drugs which inhibit acetylcholinesteraseand thus increase the availability of acetylcholine within thebrain. In this week's issue a pivotal clinical trial of rivastigmineshows, on average, modest benefits for older people with Alzheimer'sdisease in cognition, clinical global assessment, and qualityof life (as assessed by a carer) (p 633).¹ What does this addto the evidence for these cholinergictreatments?

The evidence to date is that treatments based on the cholinergic hypothesis are essentially symptomatic. No substantial datasupport the hypothesis that these medications modify the disease $---$ thatis, delay its progression. The first drug in this class to showa beneficial effect was tacrine. An early report of dramatic clinicalresponse² was not confirmed, and documented hepatotoxicity³severely curtailed its use. More recently . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike

Complore

Connotea

Del.icio.us Add to Digg

Digg

Technorati What's this?

Effectiveness of rivastigmine in Alzheimer's disease: Peter Bentham, Richard Gray, Elizabeth Sellwood, James Raftery, Michael Rösler, Caroline E Selai, Michael R Trimble, Martin N Rossor, Richard J Harvey, J G Storosum, B J van Zwieten-Boot, and A J A Elferink
BMJ 1999 319: 640. [Extract] [Full Text]

Efficacy and safety of rivastigmine in patients with Alzheimer's disease: international randomised controlled trial • Commentary: Another piece of the Alzheimer's jigsaw: Michael Rösler, Ravi Anand, Ana Cicin-Sain, Serge Gauthier, Yves Agid, Peter Dal-Bianco, Hannes B Stähelin, Richard Hartman, Marguirguis Gharabawi, and Tony Bayer
BMJ 1999 318: 633-640. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

Backman, L., Jones, S., Small, B. J., Aguero-Torres, H., Fratiglioni, L. (2003). Rate of Cognitive Decline in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: The Role of Comorbidity. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 58: P228-236 [Abstract] [Full text]
Severn, A. M. (2001). Editorial II: Time to light the grey touchpaper! The challenge of anaesthesia in the elderly. Br J Anaesth 87: 533-536 [Full text]
Richards, P. G., Johnson, M. K., Ray, D. E. (2000). Identification of Acylpeptide Hydrolase as a Sensitive Site for Reaction with Organophosphorus Compounds and a Potential Target for Cognitive Enhancing Drugs. Mol. Pharmacol. 58: 577-583 [Abstract] [Full text]
Bentham, P., Gray, R., Sellwood, E., Raftery, J., Rösler, M., Selai, C. E, Trimble, M. R, Rossor, M. N, Harvey, R. J, Storosum, J G, van Zwieten-Boot, B J, Elferink, A J A (1999). Effectiveness of rivastigmine in Alzheimer's disease. BMJ 319: 640a-640 [Full text]