Authors' objectives: This report has three main objectives: 1. To assess the evidence for the clinical efficacy of individual therapies for AD. 2. To compare the clinical efficacy of individual therapies for AD. 3. To review, in a companion report, the reliability and validity data on all primary and secondary outcome measures used in the trials selected in Objective 1.

Authors' recommendations: This review concludes that for selegiline, vitamin E, lecithin, linopirdine, and propentofylline the published data do not provide support for efficacy. Donepezil, metrifonate and rivastigmine, however, all provide statistically significant modest benefit on cognitive performance and global functioning to the elderly with probable AD who are eligible for inclusion in clinical trials. The magnitude of the effect is similar for all of the medications. The results from the trials of gingko biloba are promising but the effects are smaller than those from the above mentioned therapies. Although all of these medications appear to be well tolerated, in terms of the occurrence of adverse events, dropout rates are sometimes high and may have resulted in overestimation of apparent treatment effects.

Authors' methods: Overview

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.ccohta.ca/

Year Published: 2000

URL for published report: n/a

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553, Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment