Grossberg_2004_Am.J.Geriatr.Psychiatry_12_420

Reference

Title : Rivastigmine in Alzheimer disease: efficacy over two years - Grossberg_2004_Am.J.Geriatr.Psychiatry_12_420
Author(s) : Grossberg G , Irwin P , Satlin A , Mesenbrink P , Spiegel R
Ref : American Journal of Geriatry & Psychiatry , 12 :420 , 2004
Abstract :

OBJECTIVE: Beyond 6 to 9 months of treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChE-Is), there is a notable increase in the rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease (AD) patients, and there are few longer-term studies to evaluate this finding. The authors examined whether the ChE-I rivastigmine continued to be therapeutically effective after up to 2 years of treatment in 2,010 patients with probable AD.
METHODS: The clinical course of AD patients treated with rivastigmine was compared with a prediction of their course derived by a baseline-dependent historical model of disease progression developed from data in untreated AD patients. Rivastigmine efficacy data came from four 6-month, placebo-controlled, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and two open-label extension studies. Cognitive performance was assessed by various clinician- and caregiver-rated measures.
RESULTS: After 2 years on rivastigmine, there was less cognitive deterioration than in historical-control subjects. These effects of rivastigmine on cognitive performance were considered clinically meaningful relative to expected global decline. Treatment-emergent adverse events were the commonly-seen side effects of ChEIs and were similar in frequency to those seen in patients assigned to shorter-term rivastigmine therapy. CONCLUSION: Rivastigmine had a beneficial effect on cognitive performance for up to 2 years in patients with AD, versus no treatment or placebo treatment in historical-control subjects. Caregiver and clinician assessments indicated that the cognitive performance findings were of a magnitude relevant to global patient functioning. Rivastigmine remained safe over this 2-year treatment period.

PubMedSearch : Grossberg_2004_Am.J.Geriatr.Psychiatry_12_420
PubMedID: 15249280

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Citations formats

Grossberg G, Irwin P, Satlin A, Mesenbrink P, Spiegel R (2004)
Rivastigmine in Alzheimer disease: efficacy over two years
American Journal of Geriatry & Psychiatry 12 :420

Grossberg G, Irwin P, Satlin A, Mesenbrink P, Spiegel R (2004)
American Journal of Geriatry & Psychiatry 12 :420