title: A randomized controlled trial of prednisone in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laboratory and epidemiologic studies suggest that anti-inflammatory/immunosuppressive therapy may be useful in the treatment of AD. In preliminary studies, a regimen of low to moderate dose prednisone was found to suppress peripheral inflammatory markers without adverse effects in subjects with AD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial to determine whether prednisone treatment slowed the rate of cognitive decline in AD. The active treatment regimen consisted of an initial dose of 20 mg of prednisone daily for 4 weeks tapered to a maintenance dose of 10 mg daily for 1 year, followed by gradual withdrawal during an additional 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the 1-year change in the cognitive subscale of the AD Assessment Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 138 subjects were randomized to the drug and placebo groups. There was no difference in cognitive decline between the prednisone and placebo treatment groups in the primary intent-to-treat analysis, or in a secondary analysis considering completers only. Subjects treated with prednisone showed behavioral decline compared with those in the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low-dose regimen of prednisone is not useful in the treatment of AD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Aisen
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Farlow
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grundman
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Thal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011241:Prednisone