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. 2013 Jan;11(1):102-8.
doi: 10.2174/157015913804999487.

Pharmacological Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment as a Prodromal Syndrome of Alzheimer´s Disease

Tarik Karakaya  1 , Fabian Fußer, Johannes Schröder, Johannes Pantel
Affiliations

Pharmacological Treatment of Mild Cognitive Impairment as a Prodromal Syndrome of Alzheimer´s Disease

Tarik Karakaya et al. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2013 Jan.

Abstract

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a syndrome which, depending on various neurobiological, psychological and social factors, carries a high risk of developing into dementia. As far as diagnostic uncertainty and the heterogeneous underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are concerned, only limited therapeutic options are currently available. Clinical trials involving a wide range of substances have failed to show efficacy on primary and secondary outcome parameters. Most results reflect not only a lack of effectiveness of drug therapy but also methodological constraints in true prodromal Alzheimer´s disease (AD) based on clinical criteria. Biomarkers may help to identify MCI as a prodromal phase of dementia, so it is important to use them to improve specificity of case selection in future studies. For MCI as a prodromal syndrome of AD, clinical trials with disease modifying drugs that target underlying pathological mechanisms such as amyloid-beta accumulation and neurofibrillary tangle formation may help develop effective treatment options in the future. Alternative pharmacological approaches are currently being evaluated in ongoing phase 1 and phase 2 studies. Nevertheless, a lack of approved pharmacotherapeutic options has led to specific interventions that focus on patient education and life-style related factors receiving increasing attention.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s Dementia; Clinical Trials; Mild cognitive impairment; Treatment..

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