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Dementia Medication Overview

Dementia Medication Overview

Most diseases that cause dementia are progressive, which means that persons with the disease get worse over time. Unfortunately, no curative treatment for dementia is currently available. Some medications, however, can temporarily improve symptoms and functioning and may slow the progression of the basic disease process.

Efforts to find effective drug therapy for dementia have frustrated scientists. Many drugs used for dementia are limited by side effects, short duration of action, and the need for frequent monitoring of blood levels or other laboratory values to prevent toxicity. Many assessment tools have been used to measure the effectiveness of dementia drugs, but effectiveness remains difficult to evaluate. Additionally, an enormous amount of dementia-related treatment information from a wide variety of sources is directed to consumers, including information on medications, herbal products, diet, exercise, and nutrition. The vast amount of material and its sometimes-questionable reliability make it difficult to distinguish fact from rumor. Despite these difficulties, researchers continue to search for drugs with improved effectiveness and better tolerability.




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Dementia Medication Overview

Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome Overview

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The disease is progressive, and the brain degenerates. Alzheimer's disease is strongly associated with old age. However, it should not be considered a normal part of aging.

Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder (the chromosome abnormality is acquired at the time of conception) in which a person has extra genes because of extra chromosome 21 material. The syndrome causes delays and limitations in physical and intellectual development. The extra chromosome material can be inherited from either parent. Common characteristics of the syndrome include:

  • Low muscle tone
  • Flat face (low nasal bridge and small nose)
  • Eye openings that slant downwards and inwards
  • Single crease across the centre of the palm
  • Smaller than normal size
  • Delay of both physical and intellectual development

People with Do...

Read the Alzheimer Disease in Individuals With Down Syndrome article »



Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Dementia: Overview of Pharmacotherapy »

Perhaps the most important challenge in treating dementia is identifying cases (albeit uncommon) of reversible dementia such as chronic drug intoxication, vitamin deficiencies (B-12 and folate), subdural hematoma(s), major depression (causing forgetfulness), normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), and hypothyroidism.

Read More on eMedicine »

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