Psychiatria pre prax 3/2003

Interdisciplinary approach in dementia treatment by cholinesterase inhibitors

The authors offer a practical perspective on the therapy of dementia by cholinesterase inhibitors from interdisciplinary point of view – psychiatry and internal medicine. They stress a therapeutic advance, which has been generated by an introduction of new inhibitors, for example donepezil, galantamin and rivastigmin. They reveal problems which could be encountered with especially due to the impact on cholinergic metabolism in conjunction with possible interaction in higher age. The authors put a stress upon possible several illnesses coincidence and thus a high number of drugs of various therapeutical groups being used by those patients. Good choice of a drug and proper ensuing monitoring of risk factors lead to better comfort both of patients and personal.

Keywords: Alzheimer dementia, cholinesterase inhibitors, donepezil, galantamin and rivastigmin.