Abstract

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: CURRENT PERSPECTIVES

Nidhi Gairola* and Prof. Dr. Preeti Kothiyal

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder with age. It is also common cause of dementia.Over the past 20 years, both pharmacological and lifestyle interventions have been studied for its prevention, but the overall results have not been worthy enough. Its pharmacological treatment based on the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which have beneficial effects on itscognitive, functional, and behavioural symptoms, but their role in AD pathogenesis is unknown. Other available pharmacological therapies is: Drug Memantine (recently approved) which is an NMDA channel blockerfor advanced AD. Here, we will review clinical features &pharmacological propertiesof the available cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) including their evidence for switching from one agent to another, "head to head" studies, and the emerging evidence for the use of memantine in AD. The new therapeutic approach, which closely target the pathogenesis of disease, will be scrutinize.These disease(potential) modifying treatments include amyloid-beta-peptide vaccination, secretase inhibitors, cholesterol-lowering drugs, metal chelators, and anti-inflammatory agents. The objective here is to provide a systematic review of the ongoing evidence pertaining to the use of medicinal herbs and current research in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its associated symptoms. In this review, authors will also discusses about the different aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease and its management through a conventional drug therapy & modern investigational therapeutic strategies that are ongoing or recently completed.

Keywords: Alzheimer's Disease, Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors, Amyloid-Beta-Peptide, Medicinal Herb.