Galantamine in Treatment of Alzheimer’s Dementia - a Current Literature Overview

In Germany Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are the therapy of choice for mild to moderate forms of Alzheimer dementia. This current review of the literature presents the detailed results on the efficacy of galantamine in randomised, double blind placebo-controlled studies and open label extensions of randomised controlled studies. Many clinical studies have shown that galantamine can significantly improve the central symptoms of cognitive performance, abnormal behaviour and impairment in everyday activities. A meta-analysis of the Cochrane database confirmed the efficacy of galantamine in the treatment of mild to intermediate forms of Alzheimer’s dementia. Galantamine is also a therapeutic option for Alzheimer’s dementia with disturbances in cerebral perfusion or for vascular dementia, as it can cause a significant improvement in cognitive performance. Moreover, treatment with galantamine can cause significant improvements in the global clinical opinion. In comparison of 3 to 6 months study periods the effect of galantamine treatment increased with the duration of treatment. Open label studies have also shown that galantamine can stabilise cognitive abilities over a period of 18.5 to 36 months. Alzheimer patients benefit both from improvement in their bodily function and from delays in the progression of their disease.