Alzheimer's disease: pharmacological treatment and management

The expected rise in prevalence rates of Alzheimer's disease over the next several decades has generated a great deal of attention at all levels of society, including governmental and scientific communities. These concerns have resulted in a vast number of research studies which have yielded medications focusing primarily on the symptomatic relief of the cognitive, neuropsychiatric and behavioral alterations felt to be pathognomic of the disease. Medical and pharmacological interventions which impact the onset or delay the progression of the illness are not yet readily available. We review and discuss the medications which are currently used for the symptomatic treatment and management of the disease, as well as discuss new pharmacological strategies which are under investigation and development.