title: Cognitive and affective benefits of combination therapy with galantamine plus cognitive rehabilitation for Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of a galantamine only therapy and a combination therapy with galantamine plus ambulatory cognitive rehabilitation for Alzheimer's disease patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 86 patients with Alzheimer's disease, dividing them into two groups - a galantamine only group (group G, n = 45) and a combination with galantamine plus ambulatory rehabilitation group (group G + R, n = 41). The present cognitive rehabilitation included a set of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy for 1-2 h once or twice a week. We compared the Mini-Mental State Examination and Frontal Assessment Battery for cognitive assessment, and Geriatric Depression Scale, Apathy Scale, and Abe's Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia score for affective assessment in two groups over 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline Mini-Mental State Examination score was 20.2 and 18.7 in groups G and G + R, respectively. Other baseline data (Frontal Assessment Battery, Geriatric Depression Scale, Apathy Scale, and Abe's Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia) were not different between the two groups. Although group G kept all the scores stable until 6 months of the treatment, the Apathy Scale score showed a significant improvement in group G + R as early as 3 months, followed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and Frontal Assessment Battery improvements at 6 months (*P = 0.04 and *P = 0.02, respectively). The Geriatric Depression Scale and Abe's Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia did not show any changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination therapy of galantamine plus ambulatory cognitive rehabilitation showed a superior benefit both on cognitive and affective functions than galantamine only therapy in Alzheimer's disease patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.|Department of Occupational Therapy, Okayama Institute for Medical and Technical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tokuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hishikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuzono
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kurashiki Heisei Hospital, Kurashiki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kurashiki Heisei Hospital, Kurashiki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wakutani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Syoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005702:Galantamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D005702:Galantamine
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; affective function; cognitive function; combination therapy; galantamine