New Guideline Offers Hope to Alzheimer's Patients and Caregivers

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, medication and management techniques can improve a patient's memory, thinking, behavior and functioning, a new practice guideline in Neurology recently stated.

"People with Alzheimer's now have real treatment options that can help improve their quality of life," said Dr. Rachelle Doody, lead author of the guideline and an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a progressive loss of mental ability that interferes with daily life. A degenerative process that attacks the brain causes the disease.

The guideline recommends medications called cholinesterase inhibitors as standard care for people who have mild to moderate cases of Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin E can also be used to slow the progression of the disease, and antipsychotic or antidepressant drugs can control behavioral problems associated with Alzheimer's under certain circumstances. Management techniques that don't involve drugs and caregiver education can help patients maintain functional abilities, such as bladder incontinence, and delay nursing home placement.

The guideline also reviews published literature on how to manage other forms of dementia such as vascular dementia, caused by multiple brain strokes, and Lewy body disease, a progressive form of dementia identified by abnormal structures in brain cells called "Lewy bodies."

The guideline on managing dementia was published along with guidelines on detecting and diagnosing dementia. The guidelines are available on the American Academy of Neurology's Web site at http://www.aan.org.

"These management approaches do not stop the progression of Alzheimer's," Dr. Doody said. "However, they may help improve symptoms or help patients maintain their abilities longer compared to patients not treated with medication or other forms of treatment."

The Alzheimer's Association stated that the disease affects up to 4 million Americans and their families. The number is expected to grow to 14 million by 2050 unless a cure or prevention is found.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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