This looks like an interesting review article on the use of ChEIs (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne) in AD and LBD. Let me know if any of you has access to this article.
Robin


Human Genomics. 2009 Dec;4(2):91-106.

Cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body spectrum disorders: The emerging pharmacogenetic story.

Lam B, Hollingdrake E, Kennedy JL, Black SE, Masellis M.
L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

This review provides an update on the current state of pharmacogenetic research in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body disease (LBD) as it pertains to the use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI).

AD and LBD are first reviewed from clinical and pathophysiological perspectives. This is followed by a discussion of ChEIs used in the symptomatic treatment of these conditions, focusing on their unique and overlapping pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, which can be used to identify candidate genes for pharmacogenetics studies.

The literature published to date is then reviewed and limitations are discussed. This is followed by a discussion of potential endophenotypes which may help to refine future pharmacogenetic studies of response and adverse effects to ChEIs.

PubMed ID#: 20038497 (see pubmed.gov for this abstract only)

I have access, I can get it when I return to my office at work.

Scientist -
Let me know if you can get this article. Another online LBD caregiver friend is willing to pay $ to obtain the article but if you can obtain it at no charge, all the better!
Robin

Robin,

I am at my office now, where I have Internet2 access. I was able to pull the citation you mentioned, the full report. But there is only one mention of LBD in the report - that both Alzheimer's and LBD patients were allowed in the study.

It's a 92 page report, so not a good idea to post anything here. But if you'd like me to email you something that large (891 KB), I will. I'm not so good at wading through statistics, so if you would like to, I'd really appreciate your take on the report.

Thanks.

Kate

Actually, there are many articles with the same, or similar titles. They vary in size from 2 to 100 pages.

The clearest one I found is at http://www.annals.org/content/148/5/379.full.pdf+html.

I hope you can get to it. Good luck!

Kate

Interesting that the effects of Rivastigmine showed differing outcomes with different cognitive testing tools. Also, with LBD, cognitive testing would probably need to be done on more than one occasion due to extreme fluctuations.

I observed that Exelon made a greater difference in my husband's mood and behavior than in his cognition after he began taking it over two years ago. Unfortunately, these outcomes are difficult--if not impossible--to quantify.