About Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment

How is AD treated?

A woman doctor giving an elderly woman some advice

Alzheimer's disease is complex, and it is unlikely that any one intervention will be found to delay, prevent, or cure it. That’s why current approaches in treatment and research focus on several different aspects, including helping people maintain mental function, managing behavioral symptoms, and slowing or delaying the symptoms of the disease.

What drugs are currently available to treat AD?

Four medications are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer's. Donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), or galantamine (Razadyne®) are used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's (donepezil can be used for severe Alzheimer's as well). Memantine (Namenda®), is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer's.
These drugs work by regulating neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit messages between neurons. They may help maintain thinking, memory, and speaking skills, and may help with certain behavioral problems. However, these drugs don’t change the underlying disease process, are effective for some but not all people, and may help only for a limited time.
No published study directly compares the four approved drugs. Because they work in a similar way, it is not expected that switching from one of these drugs to another will produce significantly different results. However, a patient may respond better to one drug than another.
See also: Alzheimer's Disease Medications Fact Sheet

Are there treatments available for managing behavioral symptoms?

Common behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s include sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, anger, and depression. Scientists are learning why these symptoms occur and are studying new treatments—drug and non-drug—to manage them. Treating behavioral symptoms often makes people with Alzheimer’s more comfortable and makes their care easier for caregivers.
See: "Medicines to Treat AD Symptoms and Behaviors" in Caring for a Person with Alzheimer's Disease

What potential new treatments are being researched?

NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health, is the lead Federal agency for Alzheimer's disease research. NIA-supported scientists are testing a number of drugs and other interventions to see if they prevent AD, slow the disease, or help reduce symptoms.
For more information on current research on treatments, see "Testing Therapies for Prevention and Treatment" in 2009 Progress Report on Alzheimer's Disease.

What are clinical trials?

People who want to help scientists test possible treatments may be able to take part in clinical trials, which are research studies that test the safety, side effects, or effectiveness of a medication or other intervention in humans. Study volunteers help scientists learn about the brain in healthy aging as well as what happens in Alzheimer’s disease. Results of clinical trials are used to improve prevention and treatment approaches.
NIA sponsors many Alzheimer's disease clinical trials, including those conducted by Alzheimer's Disease Centers located throughout the United States. To find out more about clinical trials, talk with your health care provider or contact NIA’s ADEAR Center at 1-800-438-4380. Or, visit the AD Clinical Trials Database. Additional clinical trials information is available at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/.

See also: Participating in Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials and Studies Fact Sheet

NIA Information on Treatment

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