Cited by 397Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative DiseasesAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Cholinesterase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease:

Open access
Grossberg, George T·2003·Current Therapeutic Research

Abstract

Background Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors currently used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are the acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-selective inhibitors, donepezil and galantamine, and the dual AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitor, rivastigmine. In addition to differences in selectivity for AChE and BuChE, ChE inhibitors also differ in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and these differences could significantly impact on safety, tolerability, and efficacy.Objective The aim of this article was to provide an overview of the ChE inhibitors widely used in AD, focusing on key pharmacologic differences among agents and how these may translate into important differences in safety, tolerability, and efficacy in clinical practice.Methods Using published literature collected over time by the author, a review was conducted, focusing on the pharmacology and clinical data of donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine.Results All ChE inhibitors have the potential to induce centrally mediated cholinergic adverse events (AEs), such as nausea and vomiting, if the dose is increased too rapidly or in increments that are too large. These AEs, which are most likely to occur during the "getting on," or dose-escalation, phase of treatment, may result in patients discontinuing treatment early without achieving optimum therapeutic benefit. To reduce the incidence of these AEs, a slow dose-escalation schedule has been established in clinical practice, consisting of a "start low, go slow" procedure with a minimum of 4 weeks between dose increases. After "getting on" treatment, maintaining treatment in the long term, or "staying on," may be achieved with good safety, tolerability, and sustained symptomatic efficacy across the key symptom domains (activities of daily living, behavior, and cognition).Conclusions ChE inhibitors provide symptomatic benefit in AD across key symptom domains. Factors influencing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of these agents in clinical practice include ChE enzymes inhibited, brain and brain-region ChE selectivity, and metabolism route. Class-specific cholinergic AEs can be minimized using slow, flexible dose escalation.

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Research works printed but not linked: 12

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  12. Raskind M, Truyen L. Galantamine has long-term cognitive benefits in Alzheimer's disease-an analysis of responder rates at 36 months. Poster presented at the 7th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy; April 3-6, 2003; Geneva, Switzerland.

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Authors
Grossberg, G. T.
Affiliations
Saint Louis University (US)
Corresponding author
Grossberg, George T
Venue
Current Therapeutic Research
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2003-04
Volume
64
Issue
4
Pages
216-235
ISSN
0011-393X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W170237590
Cited by
384
References
101
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 24 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
3.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Current Therapeutic Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Novartis Pharma
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
cholinesterase inhibitors, Alzheimer's disease, donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors, dose escalation, safety and tolerability

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