Current treatment for AD includes Aricept, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that has only been around a few years. There are lots of alternative treatments as well, including herbal treatments such as Ginkgo biloba. One man claims to have cured 2 individuals of AD through a specific diet and exercise plan, but little research has been done on such treatments. Many drugs focus on affecting the neurontransmitters in the body. A neurotransmitter is a chemical in the body by which neurons communicate.
Neurons are cells in the body that control thought and physical movement.
One of these neurotransmitters, acetylcholinesterase, decreases significantly in those people with AD, and it therefore impairs memory. Treatment has therefore focused on inhibiting acetylcholinesterase so that it may accumulate at the ends of the neurons. An article recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine discusses a large variety of the most current treatments, including some drugs that affect the amount of acetylcholinesterase and therefore its action. This is taken only once a day, and seems to be fairly effective with less frequent and sever side effects. It is widely used.