Dementia & Neuropsychologia ()

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease in Brazil: I. Cognitive disorders

  • Francisco de Assis Carvalho do Vale,
  • Ylmar Corrêa Neto,
  • Paulo Henrique Ferreira Bertolucci,
  • João Carlos Barbosa Machado,
  • Delson José da Silva,
  • Nasser Allam,
  • Márcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1980-57642011DN05030005
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 3
pp. 178 – 188

Abstract

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Abstract This article reports the recommendations of the Scientific Department of Cognitive Neurology and Aging of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Brazil, with special focus on cognitive disorders. It constitutes a revision and broadening of the 2005 guidelines based on a consensus involving researchers (physicians and non-physicians) in the field. The authors carried out a search of articles published since 2005 on the MEDLINE, LILACS and Cochrane Library databases. The search criteria were pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of cognitive disorders in AD. Studies retrieved were categorized into four classes, and evidence into four levels, based on the 2008 recommendations of the American Academy of Neurology. The recommendations on therapy are pertinent to the dementia phase of AD. Recommendations are proposed for the treatment of cognitive disorders encompassing both pharmacological (including acetyl-cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine and other drugs and substances) and non-pharmacological (including cognitive rehabilitation, physical activity, occupational therapy, and music therapy) approaches. Recommendations for the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease are included in a separate article of this edition.

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