At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. The damage caused by this condition is permanent and irreversible. This makes early diagnosis extremely important. It is possible that the earlier the diagnosis, the more likely symptoms may respond to available treatments. Medical treatments have been shown to slow cognitive decline and preserve quality of life for the patient and the caregiver.
Early treatment is essential, therefore, to ward off irreversible damage.
The treatment of Alzheimer's disease that has yielded the most promising results uses a series of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors. In order to help impulses cross a synapse, nerve cells release chemicals called neurotransmitters into the synapse, which communicate the impulse to the next cell and are then eliminated by special enzymes. Researchers believe that Alzheimer's disease causes overproduction of the enzyme cholinesterase, which is responsible for the dissolution of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This excess, in turn, causes too much acetylcholine to be eliminated, thereby hindering the passage of impulses from cell to cell. Cognex and Aricept both function by preventing cholinesterase from excessively attacking acetylcholine.