What medications are available for Alzheimer’s?

2024-07-05

There are medications that can relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and incurable neurodegenerative condition that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are medications that can alleviate symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Here, we review the most common medications used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s.

Cholinesterase inhibitors

Cholinesterase inhibitors are a class of drugs used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. These medications, such as Donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon), and Galantamine (Reminyl), work by increasing the levels of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter important for memory and learning. By inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, these drugs can improve or stabilize symptoms for a limited period.

Memantine

Memantine (Ebixa) is another medication used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease. It works by regulating the activity of glutamate, another neurotransmitter important for learning and memory. Excessive glutamate activity can lead to damage in brain cells, and memantine helps protect cells by blocking certain receptors. This can lead to improved cognitive function and daily functioning.

Combination therapy

For some patients, a combination of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine may be effective. By using both types of medication, it is sometimes possible to achieve greater symptom improvement than with a single drug. Doctors may evaluate whether combination therapy is appropriate based on the patient’s stage of the disease and symptoms.

Future treatments

Research on Alzheimer’s disease is ongoing, and new treatments are under development. Biological drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies that target amyloid-beta plaques in the brain, have shown promising results in clinical trials. These drugs, such as Aducanumab, aim to slow the progression of the disease rather than just alleviate symptoms.

Sensorem’s safety alarm has GPS positioning, medication reminders and automatic fall alarm

Sensorem’s personal alarm is an example of a technical aid specially developed for people with dementia. The personal alarm works outdoors and has built-in GPS positioning so that relatives can see the user’s position on a map in the Sensorem app. Relatives are automatically called by the personal alarm (two-way communication) if the user leaves a predetermined geographical area. The personal alarm also has medication reminders, which means that the watch emits a sound and tells the user that it is time to take their medication. The personal alarm can also alert automatically in the event of a fall with the built-in fall sensor.

 

Senior with Sensorem security alarm on the arm. The alarm works outdoors and without home service

 

READ ABOUT HOW SENSOREMS PERSONAL ALARM CAN HELP WITH DEMENTIA