Current Treatments

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, several prescription medications are currently available with can help alleviate some of the symptoms experienced. These drugs can target several aspect of Alzheimer’s disease, including mental function and behavioural symptoms, and may slow the disease’s progression for some people. It is important to consult with your doctor prior to taking treatment.
 


More recent research is looking at treatments with the potential to modify the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain. For example, drugs which address the plaques and tangles that are thought to play an underlying role in brain changes responsible for the development of the disease. 

Medications

The medications do not cure Alzheimer’s disease, but they can treat the symptoms associated with the disease. Medications can improve memory and language skills, thinking ability, and motor skills. It is also important to note that each individual is unique and may respond to the medications differently.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Cholinesterase inhibits may help preserve the ability of damaged nerve endings to transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. The following medications are common cholinesterase used to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Aricept™ (donepezil)
Exelon™ (rivastigmine)
Reminyl™ (glantamine)

These drugs are prescribed for people with mild to moderate symptoms. Aricept™ has been approved for mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease. These medications may be helpful for two to three years or longer. Eventually nerve endings degenerate to the point that medication is no longer helpful.

Memantine Hydrochloride

Information is passed from one nerve cell across a space to another by smaller chemicals called neurotransmitters. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, the neurotransmitter glutamate leaks out of nerve cells and is re-absorbed at levels that are toxic to the cell. Memantine hydrochloride (also known as Ebixa®) blocks the re-absorption of glutamate into the nerve cells. This drug has been approved for individuals whose symptoms are moderate to severe.

Side effects

As with many drugs, side effects often appear and often depend on the type of medication. Both cholinesterase inhibiters and mematine hydrochloride may cause side effects such as sleep disruption, headaches, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, drowsiness. You should consult a doctor for more information.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies that test new medications among a group of people prior to making the medication available to the general population. Medications that are anticipated to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease are put to clinical trials.

Clinical trials are the primary way that researchers find out if a promising treatment is safe and effective for patients. Clinical trials also tell researchers which treatments are more effective than others. Trials take place at private research facilities, teaching hospitals, specialized AD research centers, and doctors' offices. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of the treatment, clinical trials take time to test as well as time to be approved.

The risks and benefits of clinical trials:

It’s important to weigh risks and benefits of clinical trials before making such a decision. Here are some examples of the potential benefits or risks to participating in these trials:

Benefits:
  • a participant could help researchers develop better care treatments
  • a participant may get better health care as a result
  • a participant may gain access to treatments before they are approved and available to a wider group of people
Risks:
  • the treatment could have side effects
  • the treatment could interfere with treatment that you are already taking
  • there is no guarantee that you will receive the treatment rather than the inactive treatment (called a placebo)
  • there is no guarantee that the treatment will work