An individualized approach to treatment for alzheimer's disease, pick's disease, and other dementias.
Treatment options for dementia are now available, and increasing numbers of individuals with cognitive disorders are being evaluated for intervention. Little effort is made to select patients who will benefit from the various treatments. Widespread use of medication places patients at risk for developing side effects, which is one reason to target patients likely to benefit from specific interventions. We have limited health care resources and a growing population of elderly individuals with dementia, so our current system of "hit or miss" intervention will become increasingly costly and inefficient. Selecting those likely to benefit from specific interventions would improve efficiency. This article reviews some current approaches for treating dementia and describes a strategy that may help predict which individuals will respond to specific dementia-related treatments. This individualized approach has potential to increase the beneficial effects of medications, reduce the likelihood of side effects, and preserve health care resources.
Lippa
Carol F
CF
Department of Neurology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, USA. clippa@drexelmed.edu
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D046228:Microarray Analysis
D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists