Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease Flashcards
Screening only test:
MMSE SLUMS MOCA Clock Drawing - Then do a pharmacist's review of meds if there is a possible deficit
Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-cog)
- Primary outcome measure
* Sensitive
Clinician’s Interview Based Impression of Change (CIBIC)
- Subjective
* More qualitative assessment
Global Dementia Rating Scale (GDRS)
• Evaluate how well and intervention influence big cohorts of patients as they progress
GDS, Cornell and NPI
Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms identification
ADAS-cog change is score evaluations:
Magnitude of response: magnitude of change in the score before and after medication intervention and across points in time
Responder rate: Proportion of patients who achieve a minimum threshold of change expressed as a percentage
What scale is used to determine stages on AD
Reisberg Scale or FAST scale
Stage 1
- Last known period of normal function
* ID retrospectively
Stage 2
- Very mild impairments
- Only the patient recognizes the problem
- Patient can compensate for deficits so others may not notice yet
Stage 3
• Others begin to notice problems in memory, problem solving, following directions, managing finances (IADLs)
• Often a formal diagnosis is not made until this stage
• Could come with depression and anxiety
o Geriatric depression scale might be necessary
• Living at home might need to be evaluated at this point
• MMSE score might be 21-24
Stage 4
- Self-care activities are affected
- Patient may need help with household tasks, personal hygiene (ADLs)
- Still fluid speech and usually topic appropriate but word finding gets difficult
- Shortened attention span and prone to restlessness and wandering
- Sleep can be disturbed
- Sundowning; agitation in the evening
- UNSAFE to live alone
- MMSE: 15-21
Stage 5
- Less ambulatory and less able to perform ADLs
- Language is less spontaneous but still topic appropriate
- Physical aggression and psychosis can occur
- MMSE: 10-15
- GDS may not be helpful now
- Cornell Scale is more appropriate (observer-based)
Stage 6
• Patients are dependent for most ADLs/IADLs
• Usually ambulatory at wheelchair level only
• Severe language impairments
o Speech is short
• Physical aggression and psychosis can occur in pts
• MMSE
Stage 7
- Completely functionally dependent- bed bound
- Do not speak, eat or drink
- Pneumonia tends to be the cause of death
- Lots of physical care from caregivers
- No participation in MMSE at this point
Tacrine
Cognex
Not available anymore
QID
Tacrine Side Effects
Hepatotoxicity
Tacrine Monitoring
o Cognitive function and GI tolerability
o LFTs every other week for 16 weeks then monthly for 2 months and then every 3 months after
3X ULN = dose reduction and more monitoring
Donepezil
Aricept
ALL stages of AD
QD and no hepatotoxicity
Donepezil Dosing
5 mg and 10 mg are both efficacious
Also a 23 mg option
- Maintenance dose: 10 mg
Donepezil Side Effects
N/D
Incontinence
Dizziness
- Most subside after 4 weeks
Donepezil Monitoring
NO labs
HR, GI
Rivastigimine
Exelon
Also for dementia with PD