Alzheimer's Drug Helpful for People with MS

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Alzheimer's Drug Helpful for People with MS

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MS is caused by the loss of myelin, the insulating sleeve around the

brain's neurons, while the

underlying problem in Alzheimer's disease seems to be a loss of the

signaling chemical

acetylcholine in so- called cholinergic nerves -- two different

processes. However, the

researchers believe there may be a link.

" MS is not known to result in the reduction of acetylcholine, " Dr.

Krupp, from the

State University of New York at Stony Brook, explained in a

statement. " But evidence

suggests that there is a decrease in cholinergic activity, likely

resulting from the disruption of cholinergic pathways by the

demyelination and axonal damage to the nerves that

occurs in MS. "

In their study, Krupp's team used standard neuro-psychological tests

to assess the effects of

donepezil in 69 MS patients with mental impairment. The participants

were given donepezil or

an inactive placebo drug for 24 weeks.

Donepezil-treated patients showed a significant improvement in memory

performance

compared with those given placebo. By contrast, the drug was not

linked to improvements in

other aspects of mental functioning.

Treatment with donepezil appeared safe and was not associated with any

serious side effects.

However, patients treated with the drug were more likely to report

unusual dreams than those

on the placebo.

The results have " set the gold standard for the next generation of

cognitive enhancer trials in

MS, " Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, from Duke University in Durham, North

Carolina, and Dr.

M. Rao, from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee,

note in a related

editorial.

Still, the editorialists note that many real-world questions remain to

be unanswered, such as

" How long should we treat? How do we tell if the drug is no longer

working? Are benefits lost

once the drug is stopped? Are there withdrawal effects? Are there

long-term risks? Is

treatment cost-effective? "

SOURCE: Neurology, November 9, 2004.