Aricept :: Drugs Health Alzheimers Disease Essays

Aricept What is Alzheimers unsoundness? Alzheimers distemper is a disease in which the memory, judgment, and thought offsetes are impaired. The moods and personality of a sufferer whitethorn also be affected. The symptoms may progress slowly and come-and-go. (http//www.healingwell.com/alzheimers/info.htm) This disease affects the cholinergic functions in the brain. It causes a deficiency of cholinergic neuron transmission. Thus, the memory of the Alzheimers patient is impaired. The drug donepezil hydrochloride enhances the cholinergic functions. As the amount of functioning neurons decreases, the drugs effectiveness decreases. (http//pfizer.com/hml/pis/ariceptpi.html) What is Aricept? Aricept is a drug employ to treat Alzheimers disease. It is available in tablet form and is considered to be in the drug sub-class of an acetylcholin-esterase inhibitor. Patients should start taking 5 mg of Aricept at bedtime. After four to six weeks, the dose can be in crease to 10 mg/day. It is used to decrease the mild to moderate symptoms of the disease in an effort to reverse, reduce, or retard the mental and behavioral process of dementia. Aricept is not a cure for the disease, but it is a way to seduce it more manageable. (http//www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9804/htm/alztreat.htm)How does it work? Aricept is also known as donepezil hydrochloride and E2020. It is a reversible inhibitor of the enzyme acetyl cholinesterase, and has an empirical formula of C24H29NO3HCL. (pic. from Pfizer) The donepezil hydrochloride enhances cholinergic function by increasing acetylcholine though its inhibiting of acetyl cholinesterase. This effect is thought to diminish as the disease advances because fewer cholinergic neurons are functioning. Thus, donepezil does not demasculinise the course of the dementing process it just makes the dementia more tolerable. (http//pfizer.com/hml/pis/ariceptpi.html) Is it effective? Aricept has been fructifyd t o be an effective treatment during its use. This is proved by the various clinical studies. The people at Pfizer Incorporated studied Aricept to determine if it was an effective treatment for Alzheimers disease. They conducted two randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical investigations with Alzheimers patients. The ages of the participants ranged from 50 to 94 with a mean age of 73. The participants were 62% women and 38% men.