Health Topics A-Z | Effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on the activities and protein levels of cholinesterases in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a review of recent clinical studies.

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Effects of cholinesterase inhibitors on the activities and protein levels of cholinesterases in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with Alzheimer's disease: a review of recent clinical studies.

Authors: Darreh-Shori T, Soininen H
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline associated with a deficit in cholinergic function. Inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and/or butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), such as donepezil, galantamine or rivastigmine, are widely prescribed as symptomatic treatments for AD. These agents exhibit a wide variation in their pharmacological properties. Here we review clinical data from 1998 to 2009 investigating the effect of different cholinesterase inhibitor treatments on the levels and activities of cholinesterases in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients. These studies suggest that treatment with rapidly-reversible cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g. donepezil, galantamine, tacrine) are...