18F PET with flutemetamol for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and other dementias in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Abstract Background 18F-flutemetamol uptake by brain tissue, measured by positron emission tomography (PET), is accepted by regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicine Agencies (EMA) for assessing amyloid load in people with dementia. Its added value is mainly demonstrated by excluding Alzheimer’s pathology in an established dementia diagnosis. However, […]
Cognitive reframing for carers of people with dementia
Abstract Background The balance of evidence about whether psychosocial interventions for caregivers of people with dementia could reduce carers’ psychological morbidity and delay their relatives’ institutionalisation is now widely regarded as moderately positive (Brodaty 2003; Spijker 2008). Multi-component, tailor-made psychosocial interventions are considered to be particularly promising (Brodaty 2003; Spijker 2008). These interventions involve multiple […]
Almitrine-Raubasine combination for dementia
Abstract Background Almitrine-raubasine combination (brand name Duxil), has been considered as an alternative treatment for dementia. Objectives To determine the clinical efficacy and safety of Duxil in the treatment of patients with dementia. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group Specialised Register (now known as ALOIS) (September 2009), the China Biological […]
Special care units for dementia individuals with behavioural problems
Abstract Background The behavioural problems of people with dementia are often considered as one of the most challenging issues in caring. Special Care Units (SCUs) have flourished since the 1980s with the aim of taking care of dementia patients, usually those with Alzheimer’s disease, and in particular for those with behavioural problems. Although lacking a […]
Valproate preparations for agitation in dementia
Abstract Background Agitation affects up to 70% of older people with dementia. Valproic acid derivatives have been used for the past 10 years to control agitation in dementia, but no systematic review of the effectiveness of this treatment has been published to date. A systematic review of 2004 examined three randomised, placebo-controlled trials of the […]
Huperzine A for vascular dementia
Abstract Background Huperzine A, a form of herbal medicine, has been considered as an alternative treatment for vascular dementia (VaD) in China. Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of Huperzine A in patients with vascular dementia. Search methods We searched ALOIS: the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group’s Specialized Register on 10 February 2011 […]
Cannabinoids for the treatment of dementia
Abstract Background Following the discovery of an endogenous cannabinoid system and the identification of specific cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system, much work has been done to investigate the main effects of these compounds. There is increasing evidence that the cannabinoid system may regulate neurodegenerative processes such as excessive glutamate production, oxidative stress and […]
Enteral tube feeding for older people with advanced dementia
Abstract Background The use of enteral tube feeding for patients with advanced dementia who have poor nutritional intake is common. In one US survey 34% of 186,835 nursing home residents with advanced cognitive impairment were tube fed. Potential benefits or harms of this practice are unclear. Objectives To evaluate the outcome of enteral tube nutrition […]
Hormone replacement therapy to maintain cognitive function in women with dementia
Abstract Background As estrogens have been shown to have several potentially beneficial effects on the central nervous system, it is biologically plausible that maintaining high levels of estrogens in postmenopausal women by means of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) could be protective against cognitive decline in women with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other dementia syndromes. Objectives […]
Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia
Abstract Background Products of the maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba, have long been used in China as a traditional medicine for various disorders of health. A standardized extract is widely used in the West for the treatment of a range of conditions including memory and concentration problems, confusion, depression, anxiety, dizziness, tinnitus and headache. The mechanisms […]