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Ondansetron in the treatment of cognitive decline in Alzheimer dementia

Maurice Dysken1, Michael Kuskowski, Susan Love

  • 1Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.

The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry : Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
|April 2, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Ondansetron did not improve cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease patients. The drug was safe and well-tolerated, but showed no significant cognitive benefits in this clinical trial.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Geriatric Medicine

Background:

  • Alzheimer disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline.
  • Current treatments offer limited efficacy in halting or reversing cognitive impairment.
  • Investigating novel therapeutic agents for Alzheimer disease is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ondansetron in patients with Alzheimer disease.
  • To determine if ondansetron can mitigate or reverse cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer disease.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted.
  • 185 patients with Alzheimer disease were enrolled.
  • Participants received either ondansetron (20 microg/day or 100 microg/day) or a placebo.

Main Results:

  • Ondansetron was well-tolerated by patients.
  • No serious drug-related side effects were observed.
  • The study did not demonstrate significant cognitive improvement in patients treated with ondansetron compared to placebo.

Conclusions:

  • Ondansetron is a safe and well-tolerated medication for Alzheimer disease patients.
  • Ondansetron at the tested dosages does not appear to be effective in treating cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease.

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