Diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease dementia
In the October edition of the
International Journal of Clinical Practice is a clinical review titled
Diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease dementia by W. Poewe Poewe, S. Gauthier, D. Aarsland et al. that begins:
"Parkinson's disease (PD) has long been considered predominantly a motor disorder.
However, its frequent association with dementia, which contributes
significantly to the morbidity and mortality of the condition, is gaining
increasing recognition.
"PD dementia (PDD) has a unique clinical profile and
neuropathology, distinct from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cholinergic deficits,
a feature of both AD and PDD, underlie the rationale for cholinesterase
inhibitor therapy in both conditions. In clinical practice, it is important that
PDD should be recognised and appropriately treated. This review aims to
outline the recently proposed clinical diagnostic criteria for PDD and to
summarise the guidelines/recommendations published since 2006 on the use
of cholinesterase inhibitors in the management of PDD. Although the
cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine has recently been approved for the
management of PDD, there remains a need for the development of novel
therapies that can affect key mechanisms of the disease or prevent/delay
patients with PD and mild cognitive impairment from progressing to PDD."
For the full review, click here.
International Journal of Clinical Practice October, 2008. Volume 62 Issue 10, Pages 1581 - 1587 © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease dementia. W. Poewe , S. Gauthier , D. Aarsland et al.. Correspondence to: Professor Werner Poewe
werner.poewe@uibk.ac.at
Category: N. Neurological, Keywords: Parkinson's disease, PD, motor disorder, dementia, Alzheimer's disease,AD, cholinergic deficits, cholinesterase inhibitor therapy, clinical review.
Synopsis edited by Dr Jim Vause, Blenheim, New Zealand Posted on Global Family Doctor 11 December 2008
