Physostigmine (.125 mg, .25 mg, or .50 mg) or placebo was administered
intravenously to 10 neuroleptic-free patients with Alzheimer's disease over
a 30-minute period. All patients performed better on a recognition memory
task while receiving physostigmine. When placebo or the dose of
physostigmine previously associated with an improvement in memory was
readministered, physostigmine again enhanced performance on a recognition
memory task. These results indicate that the acute augmentation of
cholinergic activity in some patients with Alzheimer's disease can
partially reverse the memory deficit of that disorder and may provide an
approach to the eventual therapy of this condition.
Abstract Teaser