‘I repeated the MMSE and Mr P scored 20/30, six points less than December 2004. He continues on rivastigmine 3 mg bd. He will be reviewed in 6 months' time.’
Cognitive enhancers have been licensed for the treatment of dementia in the UK since 1997. They increase brain levels of acetylcholine, known to be depleted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). They presented a first glimmer of hope for treatment of dementia — one of the most distressing conditions we encounter in general practice. In the UK alone 700 000 people are affected, and annual costs of dementia care in the UK are in excess of £6 billion. In 2001 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, responding to the National Service Framework for Older People, recommended that cognitive enhancers be used throughout the UK for the treatment of mild to moderate dementia. By 2004 British GPs were prescribing £38 million's …