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[Treatment for non-cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease]
J Vilalta-Franch1, S López-Pousa, J Llinàs-Reglà
1Unidad de Demencias, Hospital Santa Caterina, Instituto Asistencia Sanitaria, Girona, España. jvilaltaf@intersep.org
Objectives:
To review the classical treatment for non cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease and to estimate the possible future contributions.
Development:
The non cognitive symptoms, with a high frequency in dementia, mean a larger clinical severity, an increment of institutionalization and a larger carer's emotional burden. Several treatment frequently used has been reviewed (antipsychotic, antidepressant, antianxiety, anticonvulsive...) and the response for some of this symptoms is relatively narrow and side effects are frequent and intense. New drugs, as cholinesterase inhibitors and cholinergic agonist, that have demonstrated their efficacy for the cognitive symptoms, seem to be also effective for non cognitive ones.
Conclusion:
The relative low effectivity of classical treatment and the frequency and intensity of side effects open new possibilities to cholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of non cognitive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.