Medications Used in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

I had discussed in the class the research that is being conducted regarding the relationship between fibrin and Alzheimer’s Disease. I was interested in finding the current medications that are used in the treatment of AD, and came across an article from a PhD student, Carrie Hill. We know that there is no current cure for AD, which is why studies like I discussed in class are being performed. There are, however, medications that improve symptom management of the disease. When developing treatment plans, the cognitive and behavioral symptoms are considered.
I wanted to focus on cognitive symptoms, which include problems with thought processes like memory, language, and judgment. Cholinesterase inhibitors and Namenda are two kinds of medications that have been approved by the FDA for treating these symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors increase the levels of acetylcholine in the brain, which plays a key role in memory and learning. Surprisingly, this alone can postpone the worsening of symptoms for 6 to 12 months in about half of the people who take it. Cholinesterase inhibitors are most commonly prescribed for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Namenda, known as memantine, regulates glutamate in the brain, which plays a key role in processing information. This drug is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease and may delay the worsening of symptoms in some people.
Cholinesterase inhibitors can be started as soon as Alzheimer’s symptoms appear, and are most effective in the early stages of disease. When a physician determines that the cholinesterase inhibitor is no longer effective, memantine is usually introduced. Sometimes, memantine and a cholinesterase inhibitor are taken simultaneously during the moderate stage of the disease. I wonder if this combination with the addition of anti-inflammatory drugs would show a decrease in the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease?

http://alzheimers.about.com/od/treatmentofalzheimers/a/treatments.htm