According to studies, common medications given to hyperactive youngsters could potentially be used to treat Alzheimer’s.
According to a review, dementia patients given ADHD medications such as Ritalin experienced significant increases in cognition and brain function.
It is believed that the medications are a suitable match since they stimulate a brain region that influences factors such as attention, learning, and memory.
The majority of the participants in the 19 studies that were examined by British researchers were aged between 65 and 80.
The administration of noradrenergic medications resulted in a “modest but considerable” improvement in memory, verbal fluency, and language among the participants.
The scientists also discovered that the medications affected patients’ behavior and reduced their apathy and lack of motivation.
Researchers from Imperial College London, the University of Cambridge, and University College London are now calling for more clinical trials to determine the effect of the medications on Alzheimer’s. They claim that there is “strong evidence” that the medications can help.
The team analyzed 19 papers published between 1980 and 2021 that examined the effect of ADHD medications on Alzheimer’s disease and moderate cognitive impairment patients.
The medications, which were administered to patients for between two weeks and one year, target noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter secreted by a network of specialized neurons.
This network is essential for a variety of cognitive processes, including attention, learning, memory, and the suppression of undesirable behaviors.
According to the study, the drugs did not affect attention. Nevertheless, there were modest improvements in general cognition and a “large positive effect” on apathy symptoms.
According to Dr. Mark Dallas, associate professor of cellular neuroscience at the University of Reading, the idea of repurposing existing medications to treat dementia is “promising.”
The review, which was published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, was described as an “intriguing teaser that medications used to address other disorders could join the fight against dementia,” according to the researcher.
Dr. Andrew Reid, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nottingham, described the study as a “promising new line of research” since it suggests “a means to detect at-risk patients and treat them considerably sooner than is currently achievable.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the most prevalent form of dementia, affecting over 500,000 people in the United Kingdom and 6 million people in the United States.
The condition causes the death of brain cells and the alteration of brain regions, particularly the noradrenergic system.
Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Director of Research, Dr. Rosa Sancho, stated, “There are currently no authorized medications to treat apathy in Alzheimer’s, a symptom that has been associated with lower quality of life, faster decline, and more stress for caregivers.”
This well-conducted meta-analysis highlights the potential of noradrenergic drugs to treat some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease. However, the quality of the evidence in the trials reviewed here varies, and it is difficult to directly compare the results of each study because the methods used are inconsistent.
We do not yet know what effect these medications could have on a person’s everyday life, nor do we know whether the advantages would outweigh the risks.
Similar to other medications, ADHD medications can cause negative effects. The most typical symptoms are appetite loss and difficulty sleeping.
Less frequent adverse effects include agitation, irritation, irritability, headaches, stomachaches, rapid heart rate, and elevated blood pressure.
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is a gradual, degenerative illness of the brain in which aberrant protein accumulation leads to the death of nerve cells.
This interrupts the message-carrying transmitters and causes the brain to shrink.
It is the sixth biggest cause of death in the United States, where it affects more than 5 million people and more than 1 million in the United Kingdom.
WHAT HAPPENS?
As brain cells die, their functions are lost.
This involves memory, orientation, and cognitive and rational abilities.
The progression of the disease is gradual and delayed.
On average, patients have a life expectancy of five to seven years following diagnosis, while others may live for ten to fifteen years.
EARLY SYMPTOMS:
Impairment of short-term memory
Disorientation
Behavioral alterations
Mood swings
Problems handling money or making a phone call
LATER SYMPTOMS:
Memory loss severe, forgetting close relatives, familiar items, or places
Becoming nervous and frustrated as a result of being unable to make sense of the world, resulting in aggressive conduct.
Eventually become unable to walk.
May have difficulty eating.
The majority will eventually require round-the-clock care.
