Biomaterial Database

Pharmacologic approaches to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. 1998

E R Peskind

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, USA.

This article reviews placebo-controlled studies addressing drug efficacy for the cognitive deficits of Alzheimer's disease. Efforts to compensate for the presynaptic cholinergic deficiency in Alzheimer's disease by pharmacologically inhibiting acetylcholine degradation have been successful in several clinical trials. Two cholinesterase inhibitors are available for Alzheimer's disease, and others most likely will soon be available. Cholinesterase inhibitors represent the only therapy currently approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The antioxidant drugs alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and selegiline have been demonstrated marginally superior to placebo for slowing functional deterioration in patients with moderately advanced Alzheimer's disease. Epidemiologic studies suggest protective effects against Alzheimer's disease from postmenopausal estrogen replacement and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Placebo-controlled studies prospectively evaluating the hypotheses generated by these epidemiologic studies are ongoing.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007189	Indans	Aryl CYCLOPENTANES that are a reduced (protonated) form of INDENES.	Indanones
D010880	Piperidines	A family of hexahydropyridines.
D010919	Placebos	Any dummy medication or treatment. Although placebos originally were medicinal preparations having no specific pharmacological activity against a targeted condition, the concept has been extended to include treatments or procedures, especially those administered to control groups in clinical trials in order to provide baseline measurements for the experimental protocol.	Sham Treatment
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
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
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
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