Better understanding of how some drugs affecting cognitive impairment and dementia

According to a new study published in JAMA Neurology, many over-the-counter drugs contain anticholinergic drug, such as nighttime cold medicine, and the occurrence of anticholinergic drugs and cognitive dysfunction related to the elderly.

Previous studies have found that anti-cholinergic drugs can increase the body's cognitive impairment and dementia risk. The study included a total of 451 cognitively normal older (average age 73.3 years), these subjects from the US National Research Program: Alzheimer's disease and neuroimaging studies Indiana memory and aging research. In which 60 (13%) subjects taking at least one of the high activity of anticholinergic drugs. By analyzing brain scans, the researchers explored the potential mechanisms associated with both.

Cognition and memory tests showed that compared with patients not taking anticholinergic drugs, patients taking these drugs lower short-term memory and executive function test, the average score. Taking anticholinergic drugs in patients Wechsler Memory Scale revised logical memory immediate recall test average score was significantly lower than patients not taking anticholinergic drugs for their executive function composite score as well.

Results positron emission tomography (PET) showed that patients taking anticholinergic drugs reduce their glucose metabolism, glucose metabolism is a biomarker of brain activity. Regional activity in the hippocampus and memory-related also reduced, previous studies have confirmed that this was an early manifestation of Alzheimer's disease occur.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed great correlation between brain structure and use of anticholinergic drugs. Compared with patients not taking anticholinergic drugs, patients taking anticholinergic drugs full leather smaller, but larger and ventricle.

"These findings led us to a better understanding of how these drugs affect brain which increases the risk of body's cognitive impairment and dementia," the study's lead researcher, chief researcher, from Indianapolis, Indiana University Health Sciences Center shannon Risacher said, "based on these findings, for elderly patients, doctors should start to think about alternative medicine anticholinergic drugs."

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