Evidence for Psychotropic Effects of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors

Alzheimer’s disease is a dementing illness, the risk of which increases markedly with age. It is estimated that it consumes $US90 billion annually. Alzheimer’s disease is marked by an expanding cholinergic deficit, with a direct relationship between the degree of cholinergic dysfunction and the cognitive impairment. Substantial research continues to be focused on the development of newer and better medications, in particular acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), to compensate for the cholinergic deficit.