Today's treatments are designed to relieve symptoms. One group of drugs is directed toward improving the patient's cognitive symptoms, the ability to think, understand, and remember. A second group of drugs is used to treat the behavioral problems associated with Alzheimer's, such as aggressiveness, agitation, depression, and anxiety. The next generation of these drugs promise to do more. Researchers are investigating dozens of compounds that may delay onset of the disease, dramatically slow its progression, or even reverse its course by enhancing communication between nerve cells, protecting nerve cells from damage, or repairing already damaged brain cells.
Nerve cells communicate by means of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is responsible for transmitting the signals involved in memory and cognition. When researchers found that the level of acetylcholine is extremely low in people with Alzheimer's, they figured that boosting its levels might ease symptoms. One way to increase the level of a substance in the body is to decrease its breakdown. The three FDA-approved drugs work by inhibiting the production of the enzyme, cholinesterase that breaks down acetylcholine. They are called cholinesterase inhibitors.