Fast Five Quiz: Dementia Practice Essentials

The current medical treatment for AD includes cholinesterase inhibitors and a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist. Drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the symptomatic treatment of AD modulate neurotransmitters are acetylcholine or glutamate. In January 2023, a disease-modifying monoclonal antibody for the treatment of early AD, lecanemab, received accelerated approval from the FDA. This class of drugs targets amyloid accumulation in the brain, a feature of AD.

The mainstay of management of vascular dementia is the prevention of new strokes. This includes administering antiplatelet drugs and controlling major vascular risk factors. Aspirin has also been found to slow the progression of vascular dementia.

Hallucinations and agitation are especially troublesome in Lewy body dementia. When these symptoms are mild, no medical treatment may be necessary. When medication is used, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors should usually be tried first.

Pimavanserin is a second-generation antipsychotic drug used to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson's disease psychosis. First-line treatment for FTD often includes depression treatment, with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, such as paroxetine, citalopram, or sertraline.

Learn more about medications for AD.

This Fast Five Quiz was excerpted and adapted from the Medscape articles Pimavanserin, Frontotemporal Dementia and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Alzheimer Disease, Vascular Dementia, EEG in Dementia and Encephalopathy, Lewy Body Dementia, and Alzheimer Disease Medication.

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Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Helmi L. Lutsep. Fast Five Quiz: Dementia Practice Essentials - Medscape - Mar 13, 2023.