Acetylcholinergic therapy of Alzheimer’s disease and mixed dementia

Abstract

Introduction . Cognitive impairment, reaching the level of dementia, is one of the leading causes of death and disability in many countries. According to international epidemiological studies, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its combination with cerebrovascular pathology account for 60–80% of all cases of dementia. Given the high prevalence and high cost of treatment, developing effective approaches to AD therapy is a critical clinical challenge. Aim. To evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of donepezil (Alzer H) in routine clinical practice in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild-to-moderate mixed dementia. Materials and methods . The study was conducted as part of a non-interventional observational program in a group of 118 patients (49 men and 69 women) with AD and mild-to-moderate mixed dementia aged 74.2 ± 5.2 years and disease duration of 2.9 ± 3.2 years. Donepezil (Alzheimer’s disease) was administered orally at a dose of 10 mg once daily at the same time, regardless of food intake. The duration of therapy was 3 months. Treatment efficacy was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the clock drawing test, Sandoz Clinical Assessment-Geriatric (SCAG) scale, and the (Clinical Global Impression of Change, CGI-C) scale after 3 months of therapy. All adverse events during treatment were recorded. Results . Donepezil (Alzer-H) treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the severity of cognitive impairment, improvement in emotional and behavioral states, and overall neuropsychiatric status. Significant positive changes were observed on the MMSE scale, the clock drawing test, and the SCAG scale. Conclusions . Donepezil (Alzer-H) demonstrated clinical efficacy, safety, and good tolerability in patients with mild to moderate AD and mixed dementia. The drug can be recommended for widespread use in clinical practice.