Novel Pharmacologic Strategies for Treating Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer ’s Disease

AbstractPurpose of ReviewDeveloping pharmacological treatments to manage neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer ’s disease is of high importance due to its significant association with poorer outcomes, caregiver burden, and severity of disease. Due to limited effective and safe treatment options, we reviewed emerging research in novel pharmacological agents for the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease.Recent FindingsWithin the past 5  years, 29 novel pharmacological agents to treat the neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease have been investigated or are currently in clinical trials. Of those, 14 of the 38 clinical trials identified are currently ongoing.SummaryWe identified several promising therapeutic agents, including dextromethorphan formulations, pimavanserin, escitalopram, prazosin, and cannabinoids for agitation, orexin antagonists for sleep disturbances, and methylphenidate for apathy. The majority of studies aim to improve agitation/aggression; however, there is also a need for more studies focused on targeting other prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms like apathy, insomnia, and depression.
Source: Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research