Alzheimer Disease: Grossberg GT

Bassil N, Grossberg GT. · Division of Geriatric Medicine, St Louis University Health Sciences Center, St Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. · CNS Drugs. · Pubmed #19374459 No free full text.

Abstract: The mainstay of current management of patients with Alzheimer's disease involves drugs that provide symptomatic therapy. Research approaches for future therapy of Alzheimer's disease are focusing on disease modifying and/or preventive approaches. Two classes of medications have been approved by the US FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: the cholinesterase inhibitors (tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine), mostly for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, and the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist memantine for the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. Management of comorbid medical problems can be more complex in patients with dementia than in those without dementia. Unfortunately, medication adherence in Alzheimer's disease is low and good adherence is essential for attempting to slow disease progression and improve or stabilize quality of life. Simplifying treatment regimens and providing more caregiver- and patient-friendly modes of administration that fit in better with daily routines can ease caregiver stress which, in turn, may have a favourable impact on the patient's condition. To overcome problems of medication adherence in the elderly, simple, user-friendly dosage regimens should be prescribed for all medications; thus the need for novel regimens and delivery systems in the pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer's disease, such as once-daily donepezil, memantine and galantamine, and transdermal rivastigmine.

Grossberg GT, Pejović V, Miller ML, Graham SM. · Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. · Pubmed #19194105 links to  free full text

Abstract: Memantine is a moderate-affinity, uncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors, approved for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Available data suggest that, in addition to its benefits on cognition, function, and global status, memantine treatment may also help alleviate behavioral symptoms. This article provides an overview of the prevalence, assessment, and treatment of behavioral disturbances in AD, and summarizes current knowledge regarding the effects of memantine on the behavior of community-dwelling patients. We searched EMBASE and PubMed (January 1992 to October 2008) for reports on memantine trials that involved outpatients with moderate to severe AD. All previously unpublished data were obtained from Forest Laboratories, Inc. Behavioral outcomes were assessed in three completed, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.Overall, patients who received memantine performed better on behavioral measures than those treated with placebo. Post-hoc analyses suggest that memantine treatment was associated with a reduced severity or emergence of specific symptoms, particularly agitation and aggression. Prospective, well-designed trials are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of memantine in patients with significant behavioral symptoms.

Grossberg GT. · Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. · Drugs Aging. · Pubmed #18582146 No free full text.

Abstract: Progressive deterioration in cognitive function and the ability to perform activities of daily living are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As the disease progresses and behavioural/neuropsychiatric symptoms become more predominant, carers of AD patients themselves encounter a raft of physical, emotional, social and financial problems. Appropriate therapeutic management of AD patients, particularly their behavioural symptoms, may reduce the burden placed on family and professional caregivers. Preservation of cholinergic neurotransmission by cholinesterase inhibitors is the mainstay of pharmacological therapy for AD. Rivastigmine, a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, has pharmacological properties that appear particularly favourable regarding the behavioural symptoms of AD. In addition to its beneficial effects on cognitive and global function, rivastigmine treatment in mild-to-moderate AD is associated with improvements in behavioural symptoms, a decreased requirement for antipsychotic drugs and delays in nursing home placement; reductions in caregiver burden, caregiver time and costs have also been reported. Rivastigmine treatment has also demonstrated improvements in behavioural symptoms and reductions in psychotropic medication usage in nursing home residents with moderate-to-severe AD, and may be associated with a reduction in professional caregiver burden. In summary, the positive effects of rivastigmine on functional and behavioural symptoms of AD help to reduce the time, stress and overall burden associated with caregiving, both in the informal home care and nursing home environments.

Grossberg GT, Edwards KR, Zhao Q. · Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University, 1221 S. Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · J Clin Pharmacol. · Pubmed #16809811 No free full text.

Abstract: A combination of cholinergic and glutamatergic dysfunction appears to underlie the symptomatology of Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, one hypothesis is that treatment strategies should address impairments in both systems. Galantamine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that, unlike other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, has a postulated dual mode of action as a nicotinic receptor modulator. Galantamine has demonstrated long-term efficacy in improving or maintaining cognition, functionality, and behavior in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Memantine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor antagonist, reduces deterioration in cognition and function in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic as well as ongoing observation studies support the concept of adjunctive therapy with memantine in patients with advanced moderate Alzheimer's disease currently treated with an established galantamine regimen. The potential to modulate both acetylcholine and glutamate pathways in Alzheimer's disease presents a novel treatment strategy for the management of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease.

Geerts H, Grossberg GT. · In Silico Biosciences Inc, Berwyn, PA 19312, USA. · J Clin Pharmacol. · Pubmed #16809810 No free full text.

Abstract: The search for effective treatments of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major challenges facing modern medicine. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (AChEIs) are effective for the treatment of mild to moderate AD, and memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) inhibitor, has been approved for moderate to severe AD. Galantamine is of particular interest because it has a dual mechanism of action: it is postulated to be both an AChEI and an allosteric modulator of nicotinic receptors. Modulation of NMDA and nicotinic receptors by memantine and galantamine may provide an optimal combination therapy for AD. The cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems, which share a close functional relationship, may play a role in the pathogenesis of AD. Close examination of the pharmacology of the 2 compounds suggests that galantamine can augment memantine's glutamatergic noise suppression while simultaneously enhancing the physiologic glutamatergic signal. The link between these systems suggests that AD therapies, which capitalize on this relationship, may be more effective in improving cognition than approaches focusing on a single system.

Grossberg GT. · Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · Curr Med Res Opin. · Pubmed #16238903 No free full text.

Abstract: Cognitive decline is conventionally regarded as the defining clinical symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms are also present throughout the course of the disease. In fact, behavioral symptoms may appear before cognitive decline is diagnosed. The presence of these symptoms may predict an increasing need for community-based services or even nursing home placement. The characteristic behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with AD may be related to the same pathophysiology that underlies the cognitive abnormalities. AD is characterized by a loss of cholinergic neurons as well as by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and senile plaques in brain regions with cholinergic deficits, resulting in a deficiency in acetylcholine (ACh) in areas of the brain that modulate cognition, behavior, and emotion. Cholinesterase inhibitors are thought to augment or maximize the concentration of ACh in the synaptic cleft. Rivastigmine is a dual inhibitor of both acetylcholin esterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), enzymes involved in hydrolysis of ACh. Literature searches using MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were performed to identify studies of rivastigmine (through August 2005) that assessed neuropsychiatric aspects of AD. Rivastigmine has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in stabilizing or improving the cognitive symptoms of AD in 3 large, well-controlled, randomized clinical trials, which also demonstrated that rivastig mine improves overall global functioning. Smaller studies and meta-analyses of pooled data from the 3 large trials have suggested that rivastigmine may improve the behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with AD.

Desai AK, Grossberg GT. · Alzheimer's Center of Excellence, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 3211 E Northshore Boulavard, #157, Appleton, WI 54915, USA. · Expert Rev Neurother. · Pubmed #16162080 No free full text.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of neurodegenerative dementia and poses considerable health challenges to both patients and their families. Rivastigmine is a powerful slow-reversible, noncompetitive carbamate cholinesterase inhibitor that is approved for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of up to 6 months duration have shown beneficial effects of rivastigmine compared with placebo in measures of cognition and global functioning. Less rigorous but growing data suggest that the beneficial effects may endure for up to 5 years, extend to more advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease and may occur in noncognitive domains, such as activities of daily living and the behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Evidence from controlled studies also supports the use of rivastigmine for cognitive and behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease associated with vascular risk factors, dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia. Early and continued treatment of Alzheimer's disease with rivastigmine maximizes the observed beneficial effects. The most prominent adverse effect of rivastigmine is centrally mediated cholinergic gastrointestinal events, which can be minimized by slower dose-escalation intervals and administration with a full meal. Therapeutic dosing is 6-12 mg/day given twice daily, with higher doses having the potential for greater benefits.

Desai AK, Grossberg GT. · Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. · Neurology. · Pubmed #15994222 No free full text.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia. It is one of the principal causes of disability and decreased quality of life among older adults. Progress in our clinical knowledge of AD has led to more reliable diagnostic criteria and accuracy, and research efforts are expanding to uncover the earliest manifestations and even the presymptomatic phases of the disease. The diagnosis of AD is primarily one of inclusion and usually can be made using standardized clinical criteria. There is currently no cure for AD. Current treatment focuses on establishing an early accurate clinical diagnosis, early institution of cholinesterase inhibitors and/or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-targeted therapy. Treating medical comorbidities and dementia-related complications, ensuring that appropriate services are provided, addressing the long-term well-being of caregivers, and treating behavioral and psychological symptoms with appropriate nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions also are important. The initiating and propagating pathologic processes and the anatomic location of the earliest changes will become new targets of research and therapeutic development. A possible precursor of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is under investigation as a possible therapeutic starting point for disease-modifying interventions. This article provides a research update of current understanding in the diagnosis and treatment of AD and in emerging areas of interest such as MCI, detection of AD in the predementia phase, and neuroimaging in AD.

Gauthier S, Emre M, Farlow MR, Bullock R, Grossberg GT, Potkin SG. · McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, Verdun, Quebec, Canada. · Curr Med Res Opin. · Pubmed #14687441 No free full text.

Abstract: Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors represent the standard therapeutic approach to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, a proportion of patients experience lack or loss of therapeutic benefit with an initial agent, or discontinue due to safety/tolerability issues. In many instances, no alternative treatment is offered once the initial agent has been stopped. Thus, for many patients, the total duration of treatment is relatively short in comparison with the chronic nature of AD. Switching medications is a common therapeutic strategy within many drug classes across many clinical areas following a lack/loss of efficacy or safety/tolerability problems, and is also an increasingly important concept in the management of AD with ChE inhibitors. A number of open-label studies, where patients were switched from donepezil to rivastigmine, have indicated that approximately 50% of patients experiencing a lack/loss of efficacy with donepezil (a selective acetylcholinesterase [AChE] inhibitor) respond to subsequent treatment with rivastigmine (a dual AChE and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor). In these studies, rivastigmine was well tolerated, and the occurrence of safety/tolerability problems with donepezil was not predictive of similar problems with rivastigmine. In the summer of 2002, leading neurologists and psychiatrists attended a medical experts meeting to discuss the clinical importance of switching ChE inhibitors in AD. The expert panel examined available clinical data, shared clinical experiences, and discussed current clinical guidelines for switching. The panel also aimed to reach consensus on 'whom to switch', 'when to switch' and 'how to switch'. The key findings from that meeting are reported in this review.

Grossberg GT. · Department of Psychiatry, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · J Clin Psychiatry. · Pubmed #12934967 No free full text.

Abstract: The defining characteristic of Alzheimer's disease is cognitive impairment, but commonly this impairment is accompanied by mood and behavioral symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, inappropriate behavior, sleep disturbance, psychosis, and agitation. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are not normative to the aging process. Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in the majority of cases can be made with confidence through office-based clinical assessment and informant interview. Alzheimer's disease is the most common of the dementing disorders and is exponentially increasing in incidence, projected to affect 8.64 million people in the United States by the year 2047. At present, no treatment can prevent or cure Alzheimer's disease, and the fact that Alzheimer's affects a geriatric population makes treatment all the more challenging. Therapies that could delay onset of symptoms even briefly would have a major impact on public health. As the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease increases, researchers are examining the efficacy of treatment options beyond the realm of the established cholinesterase inhibitors.

Grossberg GT, Desai AK. · Department of Psychiatry, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. · J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. · Pubmed #12663697 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.

Grossberg GT. · Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63104, USA. · Int Psychogeriatr. · Pubmed #12636179 No free full text.

Abstract: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are a common manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia syndromes. Patients experience prominent and multiple symptoms, which are both distressing and a source of considerable social, health, and economic cost. Development of symptoms is in part related to progressive neurodegeneration and cholinergic deficiency in brain regions important in the regulation of behavioral and emotional responses including the cortex, hippocampus, and limbic system. Cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors offer a mechanism-based approach to therapy to enhance endogenous cholinergic neurotransmission. Studies using ChE inhibitors have demonstrated their clear potential to improve or stabilize existing BPSD. Differences have been noted between selective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (donepezil and galantamine) and dual ChE inhibitors (rivastigmine) in terms of treatment response. While donepezil has shown efficacy in moderate to severe noninstitutionalized AD patients, conflicting results have been obtained in mild to moderate patients and in nursing home patients. Galantamine has been shown to delay the onset of BPSD during a five-month study but has been otherwise poorly studied to-date. Both donepezil and galantamine have not as yet demonstrated efficacy in reducing psychotic symptoms or in reducing levels of concomitant psychotropic medication use. Studies with the dual ChE inhibitor rivastigmine in mild to moderately severe AD and in Lewy body dementia (LBD) have shown improvements in behavioral symptoms including psychosis. Improvements have been maintained over a period of up to two years. In addition, institutionalized patients with severe AD have shown symptomatic benefits with a reduction in the requirement for additional psychotropic drugs following treatment with rivastigmine. The psychotropic properties associated with rivastigmine may in part be mediated through effects on butyrylcholinesterase. Current treatment options are limited for patients with dementia syndromes other than AD. However, data concerning rivastigmine in patients with LBD and preliminary studies in Parkinson's disease dementia and vascular dementia suggest a role for ChE inhibitors across the spectrum of dementia syndromes. Finally, studies that incorporated a delayed start design demonstrate that ChE inhibitors may delay the progression of BPSD.

Tariot PN, Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, Graham SM, McDonald S, Gergel I, Anonymous00181. · Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Monroe Community Hospital, Rochester, NY 14620, USA. · JAMA. · Pubmed #14734594 links to  free full text

Abstract: CONTEXT: Memantine is a low- to moderate-affinity, uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist. Controlled trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of memantine monotherapy for patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease (AD) but no controlled trials of memantine in patients receiving a cholinesterase inhibitor have been performed. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of memantine vs placebo in patients with moderate to severe AD already receiving stable treatment with donepezil. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 404 patients with moderate to severe AD and Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 5 to 14, who received stable doses of donepezil, conducted at 37 US sites between June 11, 2001, and June 3, 2002. A total of 322 patients (80%) completed the trial. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to receive memantine (starting dose 5 mg/d, increased to 20 mg/d, n = 203) or placebo (n = 201) for 24 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change from baseline on the Severe Impairment Battery (SIB), a measure of cognition, and on a modified 19-item AD Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Inventory (ADCS-ADL19). Secondary outcomes included a Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and the Behavioral Rating Scale for Geriatric Patients (BGP Care Dependency Subscale). RESULTS: The change in total mean (SE) scores favored memantine vs placebo treatment for SIB (possible score range, 0-100), 0.9 (0.67) vs -2.5 (0.69), respectively (P<.001); ADCS-ADL19 (possible score range, 0-54), -2.0 (0.50) vs -3.4 (0.51), respectively (P =.03); and the CIBIC-Plus (possible score range, 1-7), 4.41 (0.074) vs 4.66 (0.075), respectively (P =.03). All other secondary measures showed significant benefits of memantine treatment. Treatment discontinuations because of adverse events for memantine vs placebo were 15 (7.4%) vs 25 (12.4%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with moderate to severe AD receiving stable doses of donepezil, memantine resulted in significantly better outcomes than placebo on measures of cognition, activities of daily living, global outcome, and behavior and was well tolerated. These results, together with previous studies, suggest that memantine represents a new approach for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD.

Ballard CG, Gauthier S, Cummings JL, Brodaty H, Grossberg GT, Robert P, Lyketsos CG. · King's College London, London, UK. · Nat Rev Neurol. · Pubmed #19488082 No free full text.

Abstract: Agitation and aggression are frequently occurring and distressing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). These symptoms are disturbing for individuals with Alzheimer disease, commonly confer risk to the patient and others, and present a major management challenge for clinicians. The most widely prescribed pharmacological treatments for these symptoms-atypical antipsychotics-have a modest but significant beneficial effect in the short-term treatment (over 6-12 weeks) of aggression but limited benefits in longer term therapy. Benefits are less well established for other symptoms of agitation. In addition, concerns are growing over the potential for serious adverse outcomes with these treatments, including stroke and death. A detailed consideration of other pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches to agitation and aggression in patients with Alzheimer disease is, therefore, imperative. This article reviews the increasing evidence in support of psychological interventions or alternative therapies (such as aromatherapy) as a first-line management strategy for agitation, as well as the potential pharmacological alternatives to atypical antipsychotics-preliminary evidence for memantine, carbamazepine, and citalopram is encouraging.

Porsteinsson AP, Grossberg GT, Mintzer J, Olin JT, Anonymous00337. · Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education Program, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14620, USA. · Curr Alzheimer Res. · Pubmed #18288936 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of memantine in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) receiving cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) treatment. METHODS: Participants (N= 433) with probable AD, Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores between 10-22 (inclusive), and concurrent stable use of ChEIs (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) were randomized to placebo or memantine (20 mg once daily) for 24 weeks. Primary outcomes were changes from baseline on the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and on Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus) score. Secondary measures comprised the 23-item Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADCS-ADL(23)), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and MMSE. RESULTS: At the end of the trial, there were no statistically significant differences between the memantine- and placebo group on primary and secondary outcome measures. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was similar between the two groups, with no AE occurring in more than 5% of memantine-treated patients and at a rate twice that of the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, memantine did not show an advantage over placebo based on protocol-specified primary or secondary analyses in patients with mild to moderate AD on stable ChEI regimens. There were no significant differences in tolerability and safety between the memantine- and placebo groups.

Grossberg GT. · Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Saint Louis University Health Science Center, Wohl Clinic, 1221 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · CNS Spectr. · Pubmed #16273026 links to  free full text

Abstract: Deficits in cholinergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission have been linked to the symptomatology of Alzheimer's disease, and current therapies for Alzheimer's, including cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) and the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist memantine, have been developed to compensate for these deficits. This article reviews the results of clinical trials involving agents approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (namely, ChEIs for mild to moderate Alzheimer's and memantine for moderate to severe Alzheimer's). In particular, the efficacy of current monotherapy strategies in the treatment of cognitive and functional symptoms of Alzheimer's disease will be addressed. In addition, data from a clinical trial examining the use of a ChEI in combination with memantine will also be discussed, as it has been hypothesized that ChEIs and memantine may offer synergistic benefits due to their distinct mechanisms of action.

Grossberg GT. · Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Saint Louis University Health Science Center, Wohl Clinic, 1221 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. · CNS Spectr. · Pubmed #16273022 links to  free full text

This publication has no abstract.

Koch JM, Datta G, Makhdoom S, Grossberg GT. · Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 53104, USA. · J Am Med Dir Assoc. · Pubmed #16005408 No free full text.

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of uncorrected visual disorders in nursing home patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to determine whether appropriate corrective measures were taken by nursing home staff. This study was conducted at 2 community nursing homes in the St Louis area. Whereas previous studies have shown that visual impairment is common among all residents of nursing facilities, our study was focused specifically on residents with AD. This population is less able to effectively express needs and more likely to endure unaddressed visual deficits. For AD patients, it is important to offer appropriate corrective remedies in order to maintain as much functional independence as possible. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2 private, skilled nursing facilities in St Louis County thought to be representative of community nursing homes in the United States. All subjects were patients with a diagnosis of dementia of probable AD. Demographic information collected included age, sex, and race. Mini-Mental State Examination scores were also obtained. The patients, their families, and nursing staff were interviewed to determine the patients' visual history, corrective measures, and the usage of corrective eyewear before and after admission to the nursing homes. The data were summarized to demonstrate how many patients suffered from uncorrected errors of refraction and what factors contributed to their visual status. RESULTS: Of the total of 85 patients included in the study, 80 (94.1%) required glasses for correction of presbyopia, myopia, or both. However, 25 of the 80 residents had not actively been using glasses since entering the nursing home. Of these 25 residents not wearing proper eyewear, 9 residents were too cognitively impaired to request them, 8 residents had broken or misplaced them, and 8 residents had prescriptions that were no longer sufficient to correct their vision. DISCUSSION: Our study found that nearly one third of the visually impaired nursing home residents with AD (25 of 80 patients) were not using their required eyewear. These 25 patients were the population of most interest because they were most likely to benefit from intervention. Many of these patients were not using glasses because they had been lost, damaged, or were no longer sufficient to correct their vision. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented 3 recommendations intended to prevent uncorrected visual acuity in nursing home residents with dementia: (1) Label eyewear in appropriate patient populations to provide rapid identification in the event of misplacement, (2) recommend that an extra pair of glasses be made available if the current pair would be lost or damaged, and (3) ensure that all residents have annual or biannual eye exams. If adequate steps are taken to prevent unnecessary visual impairment in AD patients, it would limit their dependence on others, reduce the burden on nursing staff, and improve the patients' overall quality of life.

Grossberg GT, Stahelin HB, Messina JC, Anand R, Veach J. · St Louis University Medical Center, 1221 S. Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. · Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. · Pubmed #10713582 No free full text.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often associated with multiple comorbidities and subsequent polypharmacy. Treatment of AD with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors can carry a risk of drug interaction with multiple medications often prescribed for other co-existing illnesses. Rivastigmine is an AChE inhibitor that is enzymatically cleaved by AChE, minimally metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes, has low protein binding, has a short plasma half-life, and a relatively short duration of action. Such properties make it ideal for use in this patient population. A pharmacodynamic analysis of rivastigmine administered concomitantly with other medications (22 different therapeutic classes) did not reveal any significant pattern of increase in adverse events that would indicate a drug interaction. In summary, rivastigmine was well tolerated and safely administered to a population receiving multiple medications for 'real-world' comorbidities.

Grossberg GT, Corey-Bloom J, Small GW, Tariot PN. · Departments of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, St. Louis University Health Center and Wohl Clinic, St. Louis, MO, USA. · J Clin Psychiatry. · Pubmed #15003082 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.