Comparing treatment effects in a clinical sample of patients with probable Alzheimer's disease treated with two different cholinesterase inhibitors.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to compare the effect of treatment with different cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) on mental status and every day function in a natural outpatient clinic setting, so that this evaluation could more realistically reveal the effects which are likely to be observed in patients attending ordinary dementia clinics rather than in the context of a randomised controlled drug trial.


METHODS
Long term outcome of treatment with the ChEIs donepezil and rivastigmine was retrospectively evaluated in 147 patients with a clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease of mild to moderate level of severity who had been monitored for a period of nine months. Measures included Mini Mental State Examination, Activity of Daily Living and Instrumental Activity of Daily Living scales.


RESULTS
Response rate was similar to that of other published clinical trials on ChEIs. Patients who responded well to treatment with ChEIs better maintained their improved performance.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with both ChEIs resulted in improved performance in those patients responding to therapy. Greater response was observed in previously untreated patients who had a shorter disease history but overall the findings in this unselected clinical sample confirmed that patients gain some benefit from intervention with ChEI treatment.
Caffarra
Paolo
P
Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Italy. caffarra@unipr.it
Vezzadini
Giuliana
G
Copelli
Sandra
S
Dieci
Francesca
F
Messa
Giovanni
G
Nonis
Ezio
E
Venneri
Annalena
A
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D048448:Phenylcarbamates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000068836:Rivastigmine
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D048448:Phenylcarbamates; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil; D000068836:Rivastigmine