Abstract
Background: Among the neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) appears among the main ones, being responsible for around 50% to 70% of cases. The most currently used pharmacotherapy for the treatment of AD aims to minimize cognitive losses (learning and memory), as well as changes in mood and behavior, in addition to maintaining quality of life, improving function and independence.
Aim: To synthesize evidence related to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of AD.
Method: The search focused on literature that discussed the benefits and limitations of cholinergic replacement therapy, mainly represented by cholinesterase inhibitors, based on data from neurobiological, pharmacological and clinical research.
Results and Discussion: The role of memantine in moderate to severe cases of dementia, as well as the prospects for its use in combination with cholinesterase inhibitors, were discussed in most of the papers reviewed. The role of estrogen replacement, antioxidants, statins and anti-inflammatories in the treatment and prevention of dementia was also addressed, taking into account the negative results of recent clinical epidemiological studies. Finally, the different modalities of anti-amyloid therapy were discussed, mainly considering immunotherapy in the treatment of AD.
Conclusion: Pharmacotherapy used in AD currently includes cholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), memantine, antioxidant drugs, estrogen, NSAIDs, statins, Ginkgo biloba and neuronal growth factor, among other drugs. The challenge of the moment is to identify new drugs that act in the treatment of already established AD, and avoid overlapping predisposing factors for the development of the disease, as well as improving the understanding of the triggering pathways of AD and establishing strategies to prevent its progression.
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