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Author Spotlight: Exploring Acupuncture in Alzheimer's Research from Thread-Embedding Techniques to Clinical Trials
Published on: May 10, 2024
Cholinergic therapy in Alzheimer disease
Serge Gauthier1, Joseph Therriault2, Pedro Rosa-Neto3
1Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory, McGill University Research Center for Studies in Aging, Montreal, QC, Canada; Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Abstract:
This chapter describes how the clinical efficacy of orally administered cholinesterase inhibitors has been demonstrated through placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials leading to regulatory approval worldwide for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer disease. Over time, other clinical indications have been found, such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson disease Dementia. The route of administration includes transdermal patches. Side effects predominantly arise from peripheral parasympathetic stimulation. There is hope that drugs acting on acetylcholine release or on muscarinic receptors can exert additional symptomatic benefits.
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