Rivastigmine (Exelon) for dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of dementia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
We treated twenty-eight demented patients with PD openly for 26 weeks with rivastigmine (mean daily dose 7.2 +/- 3.3 mg/day). Baseline scores were compared with those at weeks 12, 26 and after 8 weeks of washout.


RESULTS
Twenty patients completed 26 weeks of treatment and eight dropped out because of side effects. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale mental subscore improved significantly at week 26 (P < 0.01) while the motor score (part III) did not change. The mean ADAScog total score improved by 7.3 points at week 26 (P < 0.002). The subscores for recognition, word finding, remembering instructions and concentration items of the ADAScog improved significantly as well (P < 0.02, P < 0.05, P < 0.005 and P < 0.003, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Rivastigmine may improve the cognitive functions in PD patients with dementia with no worsening of motor function.
Giladi
N
N
Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel.
Shabtai
H
H
Gurevich
T
T
Benbunan
B
B
Anca
M
M
Korczyn
A D
AD
D000368:Aged; D002219:Carbamates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D000068836:Rivastigmine; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002219:Carbamates; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D000068836:Rivastigmine