Available Alzheimer's Medicines are Under-Utilized

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Drugs for Alzheimer's behaviors underused

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 10, 2008 (UPI) -- Cholinesterase inhibitors, used to treat cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, are safe and effective for symptoms of dementia, U.S. researchers said.

Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Regenstrief Institute and Wishard Health Services reviewed nine randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of three popular cholinesterase inhibitors in managing behavioral and psychological symptoms displayed by patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers report that the trial results indicate cholinesterase inhibitors led to a statistically significant reduction in behavioral and psychological symptoms such as aggression, wandering or paranoia when using the same dosage as administered for improving cognitive impairment.

Nine out of 10 Alzheimer's disease patients display behavioral and psychological symptoms of their disease.

The review, published in the Clinical Interventions in Aging, reported that cholinesterase inhibitors are safe, producing no major side effects.

"There is a need for safe alternatives to the anti-psychotic drugs currently used to manage the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer's disease," Dr. Malaz Boustani of Indiana University School of Medicine said in a statement.

However, cholinesterase inhibitors are underutilized and typically prescribed for less than three months and for less than 10 percent of patients with Alzheimer's disease, the study said.

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