Alzheimer’s Disease: Current and Future Treatments. A Review

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder whose treatment poses a big challenge. Proposed causes of AD include the cholinergic, amyloid and tau hypotheses. Current therapeutic treatments have been aimed at dealing with the neurotransmitter imbalance. These include cholinesterase inhibitors and N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists. However, current therapeutics have been unable to halt AD progression. Much research has gone into the development of disease-modifying drugs to interfere with the course of the disease. Approaches include secretase inhibition and immunotherapy aimed at reducing plaque deposition. However, these have not been successful in curing AD as yet. It is believed that the main reason why therapeutics have failed to work is that treatment begins too late in the course of the disease. The future of AD treatment thus appears to lie with prevention rather than cure. In this article, current therapeutics and, from there, the future of AD treatment are discussed.

Alzheimer’s disease: Causes & treatment – A review

“…An individual remains independent and is not diagnosed as suffering from Alzheimer disease [14]. During mild stages of Alzheimer's disease, increased memory loss affects recent declarative memory more profoundly than other capacities, such as short-term, declarative and implicit memories [15]. Recent memory continues to deteriorate in the moderate stage.…”

“…Due to an inability to create new memories, Alzheimer's disease patients seem to live in the past [16]. Patients are still able to manage basic ADLs, but help is required in certain areas such as grooming and dressing [15,16]. Insight into their disease is commonly lost by this stage, with patients becoming delusional.…”

“…Basic ADLs are now affected, declining gradually. Communication deteriorates further to single words or phrases, and language is thus significantly impaired [15,16]. Behavioral disturbances occur, causing disruptions to caregivers [15,18].…”

“…Communication deteriorates further to single words or phrases, and language is thus significantly impaired [15,16]. Behavioral disturbances occur, causing disruptions to caregivers [15,18]. The most common cause of death in Alzheimer's disease patients is pneumonia [19] followed by myocardial infarction (MI) and septicemia [15].…”

“…Behavioral disturbances occur, causing disruptions to caregivers [15,18]. The most common cause of death in Alzheimer's disease patients is pneumonia [19] followed by myocardial infarction (MI) and septicemia [15]. There are rare forms of inherited AD that show up routinely before 65 years of age, and regularly in the fifth decade or earlier.…”