Drugs that target cholinesterases

  • Ezio Giacobini
Chapter
Part of the Milestones in Drug Therapy MDT book series (MDT)

Abstract

Currently, cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) represent the treatment of choice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Following the introduction in the 1980s of a first generation of drugs such as physostigmine and tacrine, a second generation of more suitable compounds was developed in the 1990s. These drugs are clinically more efficacious and produce less severe side-effects at effective doses. Contrary to the discovery of other neurotransmitter-based CNS drugs such as neuroleptics, tricyclic anti-depressants and anxiolytics, the clinical application of ChEI in the treatment of cognitive deficits in AD was neither accidental nor serendipitous. Its rationale was solidly founded on data derived from experimental physiology and behavioral pharmacology of the cholinergic system in animals and humans. Clinical results on the effect of these drugs on cognition (memory, attention and concentration) and more recently on behavioral symptoms in AD (apathy, hallucinations and motor agitation) confirmed predictions of potential clinical efficacy based on laboratory data.

Keywords

Alzheimer Disease Down Syndrome Dementia With Lewy Body AChE Activity Vascular Dementia 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Basel AG 2004

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ezio Giacobini
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Geriatrics, University of Geneva Medical SchoolUniversity Hospitals of GenevaThonex, GenevaSwitzerland

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