title: Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease: How Effective are Current Treatments?
abstract: Available symptomatic therapies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been based on known neurotransmitter dysfunctions associated with the illness. The second-generation cholinesterase inhibitors and the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor antagonist memantine have been widely prescribed and studied. Meta-analyses of these therapies were reviewed, focusing on effectiveness and tolerability. Although many of the meta-analyses demonstrate statistically significant improvements, some question if these benefits are sufficient to justify their current widespread and protracted use. This has spurred the development of new disease-modifying therapies that aim to have a greater impact on this debilitating illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada krista.lanctot@sunnybrook.ca.
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lanctôt
authors.forename: Ryan D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rajaram
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herrmann