Long-term tacrine treatment in three mild Alzheimer patients: Effectson nicotinic receptors, cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, EEG,and cognitive abilities
A. Nordberg
Bok Engelsk 1998
| Utgitt | 1998
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| Omfang | Side 228- 237
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| Opplysninger | The effect of long-term treatment with tacrine(tetrahydroaminoacridine) was studied in three Alzheimer patients(aged 57, 64, and 68 years) with mild dementia. All three patientshad a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 24/30 and carried atleast one apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon 4 allele. Tacrine was givenin doses between 80 and to 160 mg daily for 13-31 months. A lowertacrine concentration was observed generally in cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)compared with plasma. The acetylcholinesterase activity in CSFtended to be increased following longer periods of tacrine treatment,whereas the butyrylcholinesterase activity was decreased The threepatients repeatedly underwent positron emission tomographyinvestigation of cerebral blood flow, nicotinic receptors, cerebralglucose metabolism, and electroencephalogram (EEG) and cognitivetests. Positive influences on these parameters were observedfollowing both short-term and longterm treatment with tacrine.Improvement of nicotinic receptors (measurd as C-11-nicotinebinding), cerebral blood flow, EEG, and some cognitive tests (trailmaking test, block design test) occurred earlier after initiation oftacrine treatment compared with the glucose metabolism, which wasincreased after several months of tacrine treatment. An improvementin attention (trail making test) was observed following tacrine assign for frontal lobe activation (EEG). The functional effects oftacrine in Alzheimer patients appeared to be related to both dose andlength of cholinesterase inhibitor treatment.
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| Emner |
