[Treatment for non-cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease].

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To review the classical treatment for non cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease and to estimate the possible future contributions.

DEVELOPMENT:

The non cognitive symptoms, with a high frequency in dementia, mean a larger clinical severity, an increment of institutionalization and a larger carer's emotional burden. Several treatment frequently used has been reviewed (antipsychotic, antidepressant, antianxiety, anticonvulsive...) and the response for some of this symptoms is relatively narrow and side effects are frequent and intense. New drugs, as cholinesterase inhibitors and cholinergic agonist, that have demonstrated their efficacy for the cognitive symptoms, seem to be also effective for non cognitive ones.

CONCLUSION:

The relative low effectivity of classical treatment and the frequency and intensity of side effects open new possibilities to cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of non cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.

• Authors: J Vilalta-Franch, S López-Pousa, J Llinàs-Reglà
• Journal: Revista de neurologia (Rev Neurol) 1999 Nov 1-15 Vol. 29 Issue 9 Pg. 819-24 ISSN: 0210-0010 [Print] Spain
• Vernacular Title: Tratamiento de los síntomas no cognitivos en la enfermedad de Alzheimer.
• PMID: 10696656 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Cholinergic Agonists
• Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Topics

• Aged
• Alzheimer Disease (psychology)
• Cholinergic Agonists (therapeutic use)
• Cholinesterase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Cognition Disorders (diagnosis)
• Cost of Illness
• Humans
• Personality Disorders (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Prevalence
• Psychotic Disorders (diagnosis, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Treatment Outcome