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Related Concept Videos

Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment01:22

Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder, is pathologically identified by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. AD pharmacotherapy aims to manage cognitive symptoms, delay disease progression, and treat behavioral symptoms. The treatment is primarily symptomatic and palliative, with no definitive disease-modifying therapy available. Cholinesterase inhibitors, including donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne), are...
Dementia01:30

Dementia

Dementia is a collective term for cognitive disorders primarily affecting memory, thinking, and reasoning. It is not a specific disease but a syndrome, with Alzheimer's disease being the most common cause, accounting for approximately 60-80% of cases. Other types include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Dementia affects millions worldwide, particularly older adults, though it is not a normal part of aging.
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Drug Therapy01:28

Drug Therapy

The advent of drug therapy has profoundly shaped modern mental health care, providing targeted treatments for a range of psychological disorders. Psychotherapeutic drugs, classified into antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medications, address symptoms across anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. While these medications have transformed patient outcomes, they require careful management due to their potential side effects and limitations.
Antianxiety Medications
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients01:15

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age01:27

Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age

Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview01:26

Alzheimer's Disease: Overview

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a continually advancing neurodegenerative disorder, distinguished by escalating memory loss, cognitive dysfunction, and dementia. The disease unfolds in three stages: preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. Its onset is insidious, and the progression gradual, with the cause not well explained by other disorders.
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ and tau...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2026

DeepOmicsAE: Representing Signaling Modules in Alzheimer's Disease with Deep Learning Analysis of Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Clinical Data
09:47

DeepOmicsAE: Representing Signaling Modules in Alzheimer's Disease with Deep Learning Analysis of Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Clinical Data

Published on: December 15, 2023

Current issues in dementia pharmacotherapy.

Lori A Daiello1

  • 1Pharmacotherapy Solutions, 2115 Ivanhoe Rd, Orlando, FL 32804, USA. ldaiello@cox.net

The American Journal of Managed Care
|January 12, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Dementia treatment in care facilities is complex. Approved medications for Alzheimer's disease (AD) show efficacy, but antipsychotics carry significant risks for elderly patients.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Pharmacology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Dementia care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities presents unique challenges due to variable patient responses and disease progression.
  • Current pharmacologic options for degenerative dementias include cholinesterase inhibitors and an N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist, primarily for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the efficacy and safety of approved medications for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • To discuss the role and risks of antipsychotic therapy in managing behavioral symptoms of dementia.

Main Methods:

  • Review of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • Analysis of clinical trial data on the efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for AD symptoms.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2026

DeepOmicsAE: Representing Signaling Modules in Alzheimer's Disease with Deep Learning Analysis of Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Clinical Data
09:47

DeepOmicsAE: Representing Signaling Modules in Alzheimer's Disease with Deep Learning Analysis of Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Clinical Data

Published on: December 15, 2023

  • Evaluation of the risk/benefit profile of antipsychotic use in dementia patients.

    • Main Results:

    • Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine demonstrate clinical efficacy in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can reduce caregiver burden.
    • These medications may also ameliorate dementia-related behavioral symptoms.
    • Antipsychotic therapy, while used for intractable symptoms, is associated with serious adverse events, including increased mortality risk in older adults with dementia.

    Conclusions:

    • Approved antidementia medications offer clinical benefits for Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.
    • The use of antipsychotics in dementia requires careful risk-benefit assessment due to potential serious adverse events and increased mortality.
    • Personalized treatment strategies are crucial for managing dementia in long-term care settings.