Alzheimer's disease : Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss and cognitive decline. A neurodegenerative type of dementia, the disease starts mild and gets progressively worse. And it is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. Drugs has too little role in the management of Alzheimer’s disease No medication has been clearly shown to delay or halt the progression of the disease.
Drugs used are
• Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors – Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine
• NMDA-receptor (N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor) antagonist -Memantine
Dementia : Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging.
Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil)are often used early in the disease course; however, benefit is slight. Cognitive and behavioral interventions may also be appropriate. Educating and providing emotional support to the caregiver is of importance as well elderly care. Exercise programs are beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and potentially improve
Parkinson's disease : Parkinson's disease (PD also known as idiopathic or primary Parkinsonism, hypokinetic rigid syndrome/HRS, or paralysis agitans) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain; the cause of this cell death is unknown. Tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability are the cardinal features of Parkinsonism and may be present in any combination. There may also be a mild decline in intellectual function. The tremor of about four to six cycles per second is most conspicuous at rest, is enhanced by emotional stress, and is often less severe during voluntary activity. Although it may ultimately be present in all limbs, the tremor is commonly confined to one limb or to the limbs on one side for months or years before it becomes more generalized.
Commonly used drugs in Parkinson disease include Levodopa-Carbidopa combination, Anticholinergics (orphenadrine , procyclidine ,trihexyphenidyl ), Dopamine Agonists( Bromocriptine, Carbergoline, Ropinirole, Pramipexole and Lisuride.), COMT inhibitors (entacapone ,Tolcapone) and MAO-B inhibitors ( rasagiline,selegiline)