What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Treatments and drug therapy options for Alzheimer’s disease

Although there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, certain treatments can slow cognitive decline for a period of time, help manage behavioral symptoms, and alleviate symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

disease modifying drug

Two drugs, lecanemab (Leqembi) and donanemab (Kisunla), address the underlying biology of the disease by clearing beta-amyloid clumps from the brain. The drug has been approved by the FDA and has been shown to slow the progression of cognitive decline when given to early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Both can cause swelling and bleeding in the brain as a side effect.

medicine for symptoms

Many other drugs have been approved to treat the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. These drugs are thought to work by changing the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. These include:

Donepezil (Aricept)
Galantamine (Razadyne)
Benzgalantamine (Zumbert)
Memantine (Namenda)
Rivastigmine (Exelon)
Donepezil and memantine (Namzaric)

Doctors may also prescribe medications that target symptoms such as depression, aggression, restlessness, and anxiety for people who are experiencing behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

The drug brexpiprazole (Rexulti) is approved to treat agitation in Alzheimer’s disease, and the drug suvorexant (Belsomra) is approved to treat insomnia in Alzheimer’s patients.

Research efforts on new Alzheimer’s disease treatments have suffered setbacks, with promising drug candidates often failing in clinical trials. However, scientists continue to research new interventions.

drug-free approach

Whether Alzheimer’s patients are on medication or not, they can generally benefit physically and mentally from activities such as participating in support groups, social outings for people with dementia, and dancing that combine social, mental, and physical engagement. In the early stages of the disease, meeting with a psychotherapist may help you accept the diagnosis and improve your coping skills.

complementary treatment

Despite the growing number of herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, and “medical foods” targeted at people with Alzheimer’s disease, there is no scientific evidence that these products are effective.

For example, some people with Alzheimer’s disease take coconut oil on the theory that the caprylic acid in coconut oil can provide energy to brain cells that are no longer able to metabolize glucose. However, no studies have confirmed that this helps cognition.

However, there is evidence that eating an overall healthy diet may reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.