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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...
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...
Parkinson's Disease: Treatment01:24

Parkinson's Disease: Treatment

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
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Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists01:30

Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists

Cognitive enhancers, also known as "smart drugs," are substances used to enhance memory, mental alertness, and concentration. These can be natural or synthetic and improve cognition in conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Some common examples include caffeine, amphetamines, methylphenidate, modafinil, arecoline, donepezil, vortioxetine, and piracetam. These enhancers work on the principle of synaptic plasticity and altered circuit function. They...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
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Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction

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Related Experiment Videos

Donepezil: potential neuroprotective and disease-modifying effects.

Sandra A Jacobson1, Marwan N Sabbagh

  • 1Research Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research, Sun Health Research Institute, 10515 W Santa Fe Drive, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA. Sandra.Jacobson@sunhealth.org

Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology
|September 19, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Cholinesterase inhibitors like donepezil show strong preclinical effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. However, their modest clinical impact suggests a gap between lab findings and patient outcomes.

Related Experiment Videos

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research

Background:

  • Preclinical studies indicate cholinesterase inhibitors may modify Alzheimer's disease (AD) and offer neuroprotection.
  • Donepezil, a key cholinesterase inhibitor, is the primary focus due to substantial supporting evidence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review preclinical data on donepezil's effects on cellular and molecular mechanisms in AD.
  • To explore reasons for the discrepancy between strong preclinical results and limited clinical efficacy of donepezil and similar drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of articles identified through PubMed searches.
  • Critical evaluation of literature for relevance to donepezil's effects on AD pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Donepezil exhibits a wide range of cellular and molecular actions relevant to AD.
  • Preclinical data suggest significant potential for donepezil to impact AD progression.

Conclusions:

  • Donepezil possesses numerous cellular and molecular effects that theoretically should influence Alzheimer's disease progression.
  • Further investigation is needed to reconcile the robust preclinical findings with observed clinical outcomes.