Pharmacological Treatment of Alzheimer Disease

Objective: To review the different pharmacological approaches to the cognitive, functional, and behavioural manifestations of Alzheimer disease (AD).

Methods: We searched and critically analyzed the most recent relevant literature on pharmacological treatment of AD.

Results: The current pharmacological approach to AD treatment is based on vascular prevention and symptomatic therapy with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and memantine, an N-methyl-d-aspartic acid antagonist. Clinical trials of 6- to 12-month duration have shown statistically significant benefits with ChEIs and memantine on cognitive, global, functional, and behavioural outcome measures. In general, these benefits are modest. However, they are dose-dependent and reproducible across studies. Most importantly, these benefits are symptomatic as they do not alter disease course. According to the third Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, these agents are considered standard treatment options in AD. We will discuss practical issues related to current pharmacological management, such as setting realistic expectations, management of side effects, switching ChEIs, and the decision to discontinue treatment. The results of clinical trials studying potentially disease-modifying approaches in AD will also be reviewed. Unfortunately, although there remains much promise and enthusiasm, none of these agents has shown consistent benefits, and none are available for use in clinical practice.

Conclusion: Pharmacological options are presently available for the symptomatic treatment of AD. These treatments provide mild but sustained benefits. Before disease-modifying approaches become available, optimizing the use of the available treatment options is crucial.