Gareri, Pietro, Putignano, Daria, Castagna, Alberto, Cotroneo, Antonino Maria, De Palo, Grazia, Fabbo, Andrea, Forgione, Luigi, Giacummo, Attilio, Lacava, Roberto, Marino, Saverio, Simone, Maurizio, Zurlo, Amedeo, Putignano, Salvatore

Background: Combined therapy of memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may be associated with higher benefits than either monotherapy.; Objective: This retrospective multicentric study conducted in seven Italian Ambulatory Centers for Dementia assessed the efficacy and safety of memantine 20 mg/day administered for 6 months in addition to an AChEI […]

Darreh-Shori, Taher, Hosseini, Sharokh Makvand, Nordberg, Agneta

Despite three decades of intensive research in the field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and numerous clinical trials of new therapeutic agents, cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are still the mainstay of therapeutics for AD and dementia with Lewy bodies. Pharmacodynamic analyses of ChEIs provide paradoxical observations. Treatment with the rapidly reversible, noncarbamylating ChEIs (donepezil, galantamine, and tacrine) […]

Cumbo, Eduardo, Ligori, Leonarda Domenica

Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) occur in up to 80% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and represent one of the most common reasons for early institutionalization and increase in management costs.; Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of four drugs (memantine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) in BPSD in AD patients.; Methods: This was […]

Chang, Yu-San, Chen, Hsiang-Lan, Hsu, Chung-Yao, Tang, Shu-Hui, Liu, Ching-Kuan

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of donepezil, one of the cholinesterase inhibitors, on P300 measurements in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and investigate the relationship between the subfactors of cognitive performance and P300 components.; Methods: One hundred outpatients with AD were evaluated for cognitive function (cognitive ability screening instrument) and event-related potentials before and after […]

Carrasco, Manuel Martin, Agüera, Luis, Gil, Pedro, Moríñigo, Angel, Leon, Teresa

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and treatment responsiveness of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with mild to moderately severe Alzheimer disease recruited in a naturalistic treatment setting in Spain. All the patients, who matched the prescribing recommendations for donepezil and were able to participate in the study, received donepezil (5 to […]

Beauchet, Olivier, Launay, Cyrille P., Allali, Gilles, Herrmann, François R., Annweiler, Cedric

Background: No comparison of anti-dementia drugs-related gait changes has been previously conducted combining single and dual task assessments.; Objectives: (1) To quantify and compare gait changes among patients with possible or probable Alzheimer’s disease before and after the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (i.e., donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine) or memantine, and among controls with possible or probable […]

Albani, Diego, Martinelli Boneschi, Filippo, Biella, Gloria, Giacalone, Giacomo, Lupoli, Sara, Clerici, Francesca, Benussi, Luisa, Ghidoni, Roberta, Galimberti, Daniela, Squitti, Rosanna, Mariani, Stefania, Confaloni, Annamaria, Bruno, Giuseppe, Mariani, Claudio, Scarpini, Elio, Binetti, Giuliano, Magnani, Giuseppe, Franceschi, Massimo, Forloni, Gianluigi

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder often treated with donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Response to donepezil is variable, probably based on patients’ genetic background in donepezil metabolizing enzymes, including cytochrome 2D6 (CYP2D6). We evaluated the association between clinical response to donepezil and a common variant (rs1080985) of CYP2D6, previously reported to be associated with […]