Biomaterial Database

New therapeutic approaches to Alzheimer's disease. 1996

L S Schneider

Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.

Therapeutic approaches to treat the cognitive impairment in dementia and to treat slow decline are making their way into clinical practice. Cholinergic agents are currently the most promising treatment, and several cholinesterase inhibitors will soon be available for prescription. As physicians learn more about dosing, side effects, and mechanisms of action, they can prescribe these drugs more efficiently. Evidence suggests that certain patients with dementia may be particularly responsive to such intervention, and other medications may enhance response. Current experimental approaches to slowing the rate of cognitive decline include the use of antioxidants, monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors, cholinesterase inhibitors, and anti-inflammatory agents. Psychosocial interventions appear to help delay institutionalization. Drugs that improve cognition also may affect behavioral symptoms and severe dementia as well as non-Alzheimer dementia.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007189	Indans	Aryl CYCLOPENTANES that are a reduced (protonated) form of INDENES.	Indanones
D010880	Piperidines	A family of hexahydropyridines.
D002219	Carbamates	Derivatives of carbamic acid, H2NC(	Carbamate,Aminoformic Acids,Carbamic Acids,Acids, Aminoformic,Acids, Carbamic
D002800	Cholinesterase Inhibitors	Drugs that inhibit cholinesterases. The neurotransmitter ACETYLCHOLINE is rapidly hydrolyzed, and thereby inactivated, by cholinesterases. When cholinesterases are inhibited, the action of endogenously released acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses is potentiated. Cholinesterase inhibitors are widely used clinically for their potentiation of cholinergic inputs to the gastrointestinal tract and urinary bladder, the eye, and skeletal muscles; they are also used for their effects on the heart and the central nervous system.	Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor,Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors,Anti-Cholinesterase,Anticholinesterase,Anticholinesterase Agent,Anticholinesterase Agents,Anticholinesterase Drug,Cholinesterase Inhibitor,Anti-Cholinesterases,Anticholinesterase Drugs,Anticholinesterases,Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Irreversible,Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Reversible,Agent, Anticholinesterase,Agents, Anticholinesterase,Anti Cholinesterase,Anti Cholinesterases,Drug, Anticholinesterase,Drugs, Anticholinesterase,Inhibitor, Acetylcholinesterase,Inhibitor, Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Acetylcholinesterase,Inhibitors, Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Irreversible Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Reversible Cholinesterase,Irreversible Cholinesterase Inhibitors,Reversible Cholinesterase Inhibitors
D003072	Cognition Disorders	Disorders characterized by disturbances in mental processes related to learning, thinking, reasoning, and judgment.	Overinclusion,Disorder, Cognition,Disorders, Cognition
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000068836	Rivastigmine	A carbamate-derived reversible CHOLINESTERASE INHIBITOR that is selective for the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM and is used for the treatment of DEMENTIA in ALZHEIMER DISEASE and PARKINSON DISEASE.	(S)-N-Ethyl-3-((1-dimethyl-amino)ethyl)-N-methylphenylcarbamate,ENA 713,ENA-713,Exelon,Rivastigmine Hydrogen Tartrate,RivastigmineTartrate,SDZ ENA 713,713, ENA,713, SDZ ENA,ENA 713, SDZ,ENA713,Hydrogen Tartrate, Rivastigmine,Tartrate, Rivastigmine Hydrogen
D000077265	Donepezil	An indan and piperidine derivative that acts as a selective and reversible inhibitor of ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE. Donepezil is highly selective for the central nervous system and is used in the management of mild to moderate DEMENTIA in ALZHEIMER DISEASE.	1-Benzyl-4-((5,6-dimethoxy-1-indanon)-2-yl)methylpiperidine hydrochloride,Aricept,Donepezil Hydrochloride,Donepezilium Oxalate Trihydrate,E 2020,E-2020,E2020,Eranz
D000544	Alzheimer Disease	A degenerative disease of the BRAIN characterized by the insidious onset of DEMENTIA. Impairment of MEMORY, judgment, attention span, and problem solving skills are followed by severe APRAXIAS and a global loss of cognitive abilities. The condition primarily occurs after age 60, and is marked pathologically by severe cortical atrophy and the triad of SENILE PLAQUES; NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES; and NEUROPIL THREADS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1049-57)	Acute Confusional Senile Dementia,Alzheimer's Diseases,Dementia, Alzheimer Type,Dementia, Senile,Presenile Alzheimer Dementia,Senile Dementia, Alzheimer Type,Alzheimer Dementia,Alzheimer Disease, Early Onset,Alzheimer Disease, Late Onset,Alzheimer Sclerosis,Alzheimer Syndrome,Alzheimer Type Senile Dementia,Alzheimer's Disease,Alzheimer's Disease, Focal Onset,Alzheimer-Type Dementia (ATD),Dementia, Presenile,Dementia, Primary Senile Degenerative,Early Onset Alzheimer Disease,Familial Alzheimer Disease (FAD),Focal Onset Alzheimer's Disease,Late Onset Alzheimer Disease,Primary Senile Degenerative Dementia,Senile Dementia, Acute Confusional,Alzheimer Dementias,Alzheimer Disease, Familial (FAD),Alzheimer Diseases,Alzheimer Type Dementia,Alzheimer Type Dementia (ATD),Alzheimers Diseases,Dementia, Alzheimer,Dementia, Alzheimer-Type (ATD),Familial Alzheimer Diseases (FAD),Presenile Dementia,Sclerosis, Alzheimer,Senile Dementia
D000975	Antioxidants	Naturally occurring or synthetic substances that inhibit or retard oxidation reactions. They counteract the damaging effects of oxidation in animal tissues.	Anti-Oxidant,Antioxidant,Antioxidant Activity,Endogenous Antioxidant,Endogenous Antioxidants,Anti-Oxidant Effect,Anti-Oxidant Effects,Anti-Oxidants,Antioxidant Effect,Antioxidant Effects,Activity, Antioxidant,Anti Oxidant,Anti Oxidant Effect,Anti Oxidant Effects,Anti Oxidants,Antioxidant, Endogenous,Antioxidants, Endogenous