Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Alzheimer disease dementia

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors provide transient improvement in cognitive and global functioning in mild to moderate dementia of Alzheimer s disease.They delay the onset of severe illness but cannot ultimately halt or change the course of the disease. 

Does therapy with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors affect the underlying dementia associated with Alzheimer s disease ... 

Acetylcholine levels in the neuromuscular junction are rapidly reduced by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. A number of nerve gas poisons act to inhibit acetylcholinesterase (such as sarin and VX), such that muscles are continuously stimulated to contract. This leads to blurred vision, bronchoconstriction, seizures, respiratory arrest, and death. The poisons are covalent modifiers of acetylcholinesterase therefore, recovery from exposure to such poisons requires the synthesis of new enzyme. A new generation of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which act reversibly (i.e., they do not form covalent bonds with the enzyme), are now being used to treat dementia, in particular dementia as brought about by Alzheimer s disease. 

Galantamine is a reversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase that also possesses nicotinic receptor agonist properties, and which is used in mild-to-moderate dementia in Alzheimer s disease. 

---