Comparison of Galantamine and Rivastigmin Effects –12-Month Study

In our paper we concentrated on a 12-month monitoring of cognitive functions in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type, using a MMSE test/Mini Mental State Examination/.

In group A, the patients selected were receiving galantamine 8mg two times a day/Female N1=9/and the average age was 75.6 year and the average duration of disease 1.06 year.

In group B, the 16 patients selected received rivistigmine 6mg twice a day/Female N2=12/, the average age was 77.6 and the average duration of disease was 1.4 year.

All the patients met all the ranking criterions for Alzheimer's type of dementia.

We recognized that the results of MMSE in the first month of dosage titration were co-equal/20.65 points in a group A and 20.125 points in a group B; in the 3rd month after finishing titration phase in both groups we experienced gentle decrease of MMSE: 16,68 points/in the group B: patients receiving rivastigmine compared to the group A/22,56 points/: patients receiving galantamine.

In the 12th month of monitoring there was no significant change in MMSE score, and we consider the status in both group as stabilized.

No patient had the cholinesterase inhibitor discontinued due to any side effects of the drug Pidrman, 2003; Svestka, 2001; Cummings, 2003/, however, there were some gastrointestinal difficulties as nausea, lack of appetite, ... reported while receiving rivastigmine, was solved by an extention of drug titration phase.

In the group A: patients receiving galantamine, there were 8 patients having a caregiver and the same number was reported in the group B: patients receiving rivastigmine.

Study goal: to compare galantamine and rivastigmine effects in the treatment of mild to moderately severe Alzheimer's type of dementia in a 12-month monitoring, using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to register possible undesirable drug effects that could cause the treatment stoppage, disease lasting before diagnosing and a caregiver presence in family, improvement or deterioration of patient's self-containment.

Conclusion: In our study we monitored and compared effects of galantamine and rivastigmine in 32 patients for 12 months. Both drugs appeared to be effective with a satisfactory degree of safeness and tolerability, though there were some deviations in MMSE tests during a long-term monitoring pro bono galantamine.

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