Short-term administration of selegiline for mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type.
As a follow-up to an earlier study showing short-term benefit in inpatients with more severe dementia, the authors studied the short-term cognitive, functional, and behavioral effects of selegiline in outpatients with mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) by means of a double-blind, randomized, crossover study of placebo vs. selegiline. Fifty outpatients with mild-to-moderate DAT and no behavioral disturbances were given selegiline in two 8-week treatment periods separated by a 4-week washout. Outcome was assessed with standardized measures of dementia severity, daily functioning, behavior, and cognition. There was no drug-placebo difference in any outcome measure. Selegiline did not show short-term benefit in this study, contrary to the earlier study, perhaps because the patients were studied less intensively and/or lacked behavioral problems that could show response, although the medication was well tolerated.
Tariot
P N
PN
Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York, USA.
Goldstein
B
B
Podgorski
C A
CA
Cox
C
C
Frambes
N
N
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012642:Selegiline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D012642:Selegiline