Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T07:05:22.688Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tacrine in Alzheimer's Disease

Time Course of Changes in Cognitive Function and Practice Effects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Sarah Eagger ,
Nicola Morant ,
Raymond Levy  and
Barbara Sahakian
Sarah Eagger
Affiliation:
Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
Nicola Morant
Affiliation:
Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
Raymond Levy*
Affiliation:
Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
Barbara Sahakian
Affiliation:
Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry
*
∗Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper concerns certain questions which arose during the analysis of a trial showing positive effects of tacrine in Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive improvement occurred during the first two weeks, reached a maximum at one month and was maintained during the rest of the three-month treatment period. Rebound effects were not detected in any of the key outcome variables, but were suggested by one of the supporting cognitive tests and other measures. Practice effects occurred on tests which were repeated at short intervals or too frequently. The paper discusses the significance of these findings for the interpretation of other trials and for practical management.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 160 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 36 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blessed, G., Tomlinson, B. E. & Roth, M. (1968) The association between quantitative measurements of dementia and the senile changes in the cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 797–811.Google Scholar
Chatellier, G. & Lacomblez, L. (1990) Tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine; THA) and lecithin in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type: a multicentre trial. British Medical Journal, 300, 495–499.Google Scholar
Eagger, S. A., Levy, R. & Sahakian, B. J. (1991) Tacrine in Alzheimer's disease. Lancet, 337, 989–992.Google Scholar
Fitten, L. J., Perryman, K. M., Gross, P. L., et al (1990) Treatment of Alzheimer’ disease with short- and long-term oral THA and lecithin: a double blind study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 239–242.Google Scholar
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E. & McHugh, P. R. (1975) “Mini-Mental State”: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Food and Drug Administration, Division of Neuropharmagological Drug Products (1990) Draft guideline for the clinical evaluation of antidementia drugs. Rockville, MD: FDA.Google Scholar
Gauthier, S., Bouchard, Y., Bacher, P., et al (1989) Progress report on the Canadian multicentre trial of tetrahydroaminoacridine with lecithin in Alzheimer's disease. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, 16 (suppl.), 543–546.Google Scholar
Gauthier, S., Bouchard, Y., Lamontagne, A., et al (1990) Tetrahydroaminoacridine–lecithin combination treatment in patients with intermediate-stage Alzheimer's disease. Results of a Canadian double-blind, crossover, multicenter study. New England Journal of Medicine, 322, 1272–1276.Google Scholar
Hills, M. & Armitage, P. (1979) The two-period cross-over clinical trial. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 8, 7–20.Google Scholar
Hodkinson, H. M. (1972) Evaluation of a mental test score for the assessment of mental impairment in the elderly. Age and Ageing, 1, 233–239.Google Scholar
Lawton, M. P. & Brody, E. M. (1969) Assessment of older people: self-monitoring and instrumental activities of daily living. Gerontologist, 9, 179–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKhann, G., Drackman, D., Folstein, M., et al (1985) Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: Report of the NINCDS–ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology, 34, 939–944.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molloy, D. W., Guyatt, G. H., Wilson, D. B., et al (1991) Effect of tetrahydroaminoacridine on cognition, function and behaviour in Alzheimer's disease. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 144, 29–34.Google Scholar
Rosen, W. G., Mohs, R. C. & Davis, K. L. (1984) A new rating scale for Alzheimer's disease. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 1356–1364.Google ScholarPubMed
Sahakian, B. J., Downes, J. J., Eagger, S., et al (1990) Sparing of attentional relative to mnemonic function in a subgroup of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neuropsychologia, 28, 1197–1213.Google Scholar
Salmon, D. P., Thal, L. J., Butters, N., et al (1990) Longitudinal evaluation of dementia of the Alzheimer type: a comparison of 3 standardised mental status examinations. Neurology, 40, 1225–1230.Google Scholar
Summers, W. K., Viesselman, J. O., Marhs, G. M., et al (1981) Use of THA in treatment of Alzheimer-like dementia: pilot study in twelve patients. Biological Psychiatry, 16, 145–153.Google Scholar
Summers, W. K., Majovski, L. V., Marsh, G. M., et al (1986) Oral tetrahydroaminoacridine in long-term treatment of senile dementia, Alzheimer type. New England Journal of Medicine, 315, 1241–1245.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.