Galantamine is an acetylcholinester...

Galantamine is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Considerable emphasis has been placed upon the study of cognitive abilities in reply to dementia treatment. Functional assessment, however, also is important in determining whether and to what amplitude patients with dementia can perform activities of daily living (ADL). Galasko and colleagues examined the validity of galantamine on ADL in patients with dementia.

The analysis draws upon a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of galantamine, targeting outpatients with a history of cognitive decline. After a run-in period, patients were randomized to treatment with placebo or galantamine in increasingly higher dosages across the study period. Because the lowest dosage (8 mg by day) of galantamine was suboptimal, it was not included in the in every one's mouth analysis. The authors focused forward 659 patients who completed the five-month trial of galantamine in a dosage of 16 or 24 mg by day or placebo. The primary issue measure was performance on the AD Cooperative subject of attention ADL Inventory. A subsidiary analysis focused forward patients' ability to maintain independence in ADL. Three other inventories also were used, in part to stratify patients according to dementia severity.

Patients taking galantamine had better overall ADL scores than the placebo cluster at the end of the contemplation period. Patients with more censorious dementia at baseline had greater improvement with galantamine, whereas there were no statistically significant differences among arranges in patients with milder dementia. All patients taking galantamine were able to maintain their horizontal of ADL, whereas patients taking placebo declined from their baseline ADL. Galantamine had a beneficial validity on ADL and instrumental ADL.

Patients receiving galantamine were able to shield independence in approximately one ADL from one side of to the other the five-month study compared with those receiving placebo. Patients receiving galantamine above five months were able to maintain or improve their ADL, whereas patients receiving placebo declined. Patients with bitter dementia showed statistically significant differences in preservation of ADL, as oppos to the only numerical differences that held for all cognitive on a levels This greater benefit of galantamine in the sternly demented can be explained by means of the fact that patients with more hard dementia tend to have more rapid declines than patients with mild disease. ADL are a useful measure of caregiver freight and loss of basic ADL predict institutionalization. ADL are likely to set forth a different domain of skills than cognitive function, and may have greater real-world relevance.

Galasko D et al. Galantamine maintains ability to perform activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Am Geriatr Soc July 2004;52:1070-6

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