The influence of galantamine on reaction time, attention processes, and performance variability in elderly Alzheimer patients.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of galantamine in elderly patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) on reaction time (RT), selective (SA) and alternating attention (AA), errors, and on interindividual and intraindividual variability.


METHODS
Forty-one outpatients with AD were included in an open-label prospective trial and evaluated at baseline and after 8 and 22 weeks of treatment using a RT test that allows differentiation between the decision and movement time components of the total RT. The various tasks of the RT test allowed calculation of SA and AA. Standard AD evaluation tests were performed at baseline and after 22 weeks.


RESULTS
After 8 and 22 weeks of treatment, an improvement of decision time and RT at all complexity levels was noted. For movement time, improvements were less pronounced and not present at both follow-up moments or at all complexity levels. Selective attention, but not AA, improved significantly after 22 weeks. A decrease in the number of errors was noted. At several complexity levels, both at 8 and 22 weeks, the interindividual and intraindividual variability decreased. Changes in Mini Mental State Evaluation score were correlated with those in SA.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides arguments that galantamine treatment improves various parameters of the RT, attention, and interindividual and intraindividual variability in elderly AD patients. Because the study is not a controlled trial, further investigation is needed.
Gorus
Ellen
E
Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
Lambert
Margareta
M
De Raedt
Rudi
R
Mets
Tony
T
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005702:Galantamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008333:Mandelic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009068:Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects*; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014196:Trazodone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D005702:Galantamine; D008333:Mandelic Acids; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors; D014196:Trazodone; C005419:oxybutynin