title: Cerebral White Matter Changes on Therapeutic Response to Rivastigmine in Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: Rivastigmine has been approved in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as it can inhibit acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase and provide neuroprotective effects involving the synapses. White matter changes (WMCs) are frequently observed in AD, and clinical-pathological correlations imply their possible impacts on cognitive function by interference with cortical and subcortical neuronal pathways.
  
  
  
  To evaluate the therapeutic effects of rivastigmine in AD patients with cerebral WMCs.
  
  
  
  Clinically diagnosed AD patients from Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung hospital were recruited together with their cranial magnetic resonance imaging and a series of annual psychometric tests, including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and sum of boxes of clinical dementia rating scale (CDR-SB). WMCs were rated through the modified Fazekas scale for the periventricular and deep WMCs.
  
  
  
  In total, 87 AD patients treated with rivastigmine were enrolled. Patients at severe stage of WMCs, compared to mild stage ones, had significant improvement evaluated by MMSE (periventricular WMCs, p = 0.025; deep WMCs, p = 0.030), but not CDR-SB. Compared to the worsening group, the clinically improving group had a significant higher ratio of pre-existing hypertension in terms of cognitive performance [p = 0.016, odds ratio (OR) = 3.48, 95% CI = 1.25-10.34], while having younger age (p = 0.043, OR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.01-1.12) in terms of global status.
  
  
  
  Rivastigmine may provide better benefits in cognitive function, but not global status, for AD patients with more advanced WMCs. The detailed mechanisms still have to be determined in future studies.
authors: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Bo-Lin
authors: BL
authors: Ho
authors: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin, Taiwan.
authors: Yi-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Kao
authors: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Mei-Chuan
authors: MC
authors: Chou
authors: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.|Department of and Master's Program in Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: Yuan-Han
authors: YH
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D000073216:Mental Status and Dementia Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000068836:Rivastigmine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D000068836:Rivastigmine
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; cholinesterase inhibitors; rivastigmine; white matter 
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