Drug treatment in dementia

The present review examines the current issues involving the use of drugs in the treatment of the various dementia syndromes, With the introduction of a new cholinesterase inhibitor, galantamine, during 2000, a recap of the symptomatic treatment issues reported during the past year leads on to early attempts at disease modification. Observational reports of the effect of oestrogen and anti-inflammatory drugs have led to therapeutic trials, which have mostly been negative, This may be due to incomplete understanding of mechanism and inappropriate trial design. Statins and vitamin E have been reported as beneficial, and an amyloid vaccine has entered into a clinical trial. The review finishes with some published experience in treating behavioural components of the dementia syndrome, and overall demonstrates how our understanding of the treatment issues continues to unfold. Curr Opin Psychiatry 14:349-353. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.