[Current therapy of patients with dementia].
In recent years, the efficacy of symptomatic treatment in patients with Alzheimer's disease has repeatedly been demonstrated in a number of multicenter studies. Such treatment aims both to improve the patient's cognitive abilities and to preserve his or her quality of life and ability to cope with the activities of daily life. In this way the burden on relatives and caregivers is reduced, and the need for home or institutionalized care delayed. Causally effective therapeutic strategies resulting in a cure or the delaying of pathophysiological progression are currently not available, but are being investigated in ongoing clinical and experimental studies. Presently available treatments should be initiated early on, and applied as long as needed, which requires the earliest possible clinical diagnosis by the primary-care physician. The results of initial studies reveal an effect of antidementia agents also in mixed Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, as well as vascular and lewy-body dementia. Efforts to obtain approval for these indications are underway.
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, LMU München. hampel@psy.med.uni-muenchen.de
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D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy; D002219:Carbamates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000188:drug therapy; D000077265:Donepezil; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005702:Galantamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010919:Placebos; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000068836:Rivastigmine; D013619:Tacrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
D002219:Carbamates; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D007189:Indans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D010880:Piperidines; D010919:Placebos; D028321:Plant Preparations; D005702:Galantamine; D013619:Tacrine; D000077265:Donepezil; D000068836:Rivastigmine; D008559:Memantine