Medicines available for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) do not reverse or stop its progression but they temporarily lesson the symptoms. Memantine is one of the drugs used to treat AD patients. The U.S Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two types of mechanisms for treating AD; Cholinesterase (an enzyme) inhibitors (e.g. donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine): prevents break down of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter/chemical messengers in body) and Blocking of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors (e.g. memantine) (NMDA Receptors: Protein structures which are present on nerve cell surface).
How Memantine works: In brain, neurons communicate through synapses (junctions between two neurons) where information from one cell to another is
The FDA recently has allowed two treatments to be used for Alzheimer patients. One of the treatments is a Partial Glutamate Antagonist, which is an important transmitter to the brain. It is said that Glutamate helps patients more than sugar pills do, however; it is said that too much
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (Help End Alzheimer's.). It is a common form of dementia categorized by a progressive decline in cognitive function (Simmons-Stern, 2010). According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “More than 500,000 seniors die each year because they have Alzheimer's disease”. Therefore Alzheimer’s disease kills more people than prostate and breast cancer together (Help End Alzheimer's.) Although there is no cure or treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease it can be treated with medication, memory activities, and music therapy. The main classification of medication that is used for Alzheimer disease is Cholinesterase inhibitors. A noninvasive and inexpensive
Simon Douglas is a clinical research nurse at the Wolfson Research Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. He is currently coordinating a number of studies, particularly on dementia in nursing and residential homes and providing input into a new trial of non-pharmacological interventions for dementia. Ian James is a consultant clinical psychologist at the Centre for the Health of the Elderly at Newcastle General Hospital and a
Apart from donepezil HCl (or brand name Aricept), there exist several other drugs prescribed to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Similar FDA approved drugs include galantamine, memantine, rivastigmine, and a donepezil and memantine mixture branded under the name Namzaric. Rivastigmine and
The second neurotransmitter family includes amino acids, compounds that contain both an amino group (NH2) and a carboxylic acid group (COOH) and which are also the building blocks of peptides and proteins. The amino acids known to serve as neurotransmitters are glycine, glutamic and aspartic acids, all present in all proteins, and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), produced only in brain neurons. Glutamic acid and GABA are the most abundant neurotransmitters within the central nervous system, particularly in the cerebral cortex; glutamic acid tends to be excitatory and GABA inhibitory. Aspartic acid and glycine subserve these functions in the spinal cord (Cooper, Bloom, and Roth 1996).
used today may help people function better for a few weeks or months, or years, these
The manuscript entitled “Effect of memantine on post-operative cognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgeries: a randomized clinical trial” was reviewed again, there are two comments as follows:
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms
Alzheimer’s disease is a prominent brain disease that effects a massive amount of individuals in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases, with no chance of being cured, prevented or decelerating over time (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). AD is the most well-known form of dementia, causing complications in brain function in the areas of memory, thinking, and behavior (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). In an effort to gain a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, researchers create new knowledge about the disease, which is then distributed to the public. The goal in this information disbursement is to find new and inventive ways to treat AD, prevent AD from progressing at such a rapid pace, and aid in the quality of life in those diagnosed with AD as well as caregivers and medical professionals providing treatment to individuals’ with AD.
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, accounting for 65–70% of all cases (Jellinger, Janetzky, Attems, & Kienzl, 2008). The other dementias are of the Parkinson 's group, the fronto-temporal group and the vascular group. The total worldwide yearly costs for the treatment and care of patients suffering from dementia are estimated to be around 250 billion US dollars. The lifetime risk for AD between the ages of 65 and 100 is 33% for men and 45% for women with an annual increase of 1–2% in the seventh decade to almost 60% in the 10th decade with doubling every 5 years (Jellinger et al., 2008). AD is incurable, and thus represents a major public health problem. AD represents a challenge to humanity due to its relatively recent discovery, progressive nature of the illness, and complex diagnosis.
Meprobamate is a short-acting sedative-hypnotic. Therefore, withdrawal smptoms appear between 12 and 24 hours after the last dose and peak between 24 and 72 hours. For long-acting drugs (e.g., phenobarbital, prazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and diazepam), withdrawal symptoms peak between the fifth and eighth
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive cognitive disease mostly affect the aging people, but it is not cause because of age. “A common misperception is that AD is a normal or expected occurrence of aging, and that it is part of the typical trajectory of age-related cognitive decline” ( Burock, & Naqvi, 2014, p. 36). The medications these people are taking on daily basis are to stop the progression of the disease instead of improve cognitive function. This is an irreversible. Whatever part of the brain that is already affected will not come back to the previous state. Alzheimer's drugs don't work for everyone, and they can't cure the disease. Over time, their effects wear off. Regine,
With the growing number of people becoming diagnosed, and experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, we must begin to take precautions and somehow attempt to gain knowledge of how the disease can be better treated, and ultimately prevented.
Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.
Ultimately, the path to effective new treatments is through clinical trials (“Medication”). “Future Alzheimer's treatments currently work by temporarily improving symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning” (Mayo Clinic Staff). “Future Alzheimer's treatments are focused on combinations of medications like those used for many cancers” (Mayo Clinic Staff). An ongoing clinical trial conducted by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN), is testing whether antibodies can reduce the growth of beta-amyloid plaque in the brains of people with certain genetic mutations and thereby reduce, delay or prevent symptoms