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Complementary and Alternative Medicines in the Treatment of Dementia

An Evidence-Based Review

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Abstract

Alternative medicines may have potential beneficial results in treating certain forms of dementia and related symptoms, as well as slowing disease progression. Alternative medicines may ameliorate disturbances in cognition, mood, sleep and activities of daily living. Primary mechanisms of action include modifications in neurotransmitter synthesis, inhibition of neurotransmitter reuptake and enzyme-induced neurotransmitter breakdown, antioxidant and anti-platelet activity, enhanced blood flow and glucose metabolism. Adverse events can include cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, mood, autonomic and dermatologic effects. However, adverse events, when reported represent, a small percentage of treated groups and direct links between adverse events and alternative therapies are tenuous.

Many studies of alternative medicines in dementia are inconclusive and characterised by methodological deficiencies such as small sample sizes and inadequate controls. If alternative medicines can be shown to be efficacious using more rigourous experimental designs, both consumers and clinicians could avail themselves of a wider range of pharmacological substances that may offer the advantage of being better tolerated and exhibiting safer therapeutic margins than some allopathic medicines.

While a number of complementary interventions have shown both strengths and weaknesses, huperzine A, levacecarnine and EGB 761, based on the overall quality of the studies, identified mechanisms of activity and safety profiles merit further examination in controlled clinical outcome studies.

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Notes

  1. The use of tradenames is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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  1. Department of Psychology, William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey, USA

    Bruce J. Diamond, Kathleen Torsney, Jennifer Morodan, Brian J. Prokop, Dana Davidek & Patricia Kramer

  2. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA

    Bruce J. Diamond

  3. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

    Susan K. Johnson

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Diamond, B.J., Johnson, S.K., Torsney, K. et al. Complementary and Alternative Medicines in the Treatment of Dementia. Drugs Aging 20, 981–998 (2003). https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-200320130-00003

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00002512-200320130-00003

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