Hebert LE, Weuve J, Scherr PA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010–2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology. 2013;80(19):1778–83. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Francis PT, Palmer AM, Snape M, Wilcock GK. The cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease: a review of progress. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1999;66(2):137–47. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Qaseem A, Snow V, Cross JT, Forciea MA, Hopkins R, Shekelle P, et al. Current pharmacologic treatment of dementia: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(5):370–8. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. London: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); 2011. Google Scholar
Lanctôt KL, Rajaram RD, Herrmann N. Therapy for Alzheimer’s disease: how effective are current treatments? Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2009;2(3):163–80. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Panisset M, Roudier M, Saxton J, Boller F. Severe impairment battery. A neuropsychological test for severely demented patients. Arch Neurol. 1994;51(1):41–5. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Schmitt FA, Ashford W, Ernesto C, Saxton J, Schneider LS, Clark CM, et al. The severe impairment battery: concurrent validity and the assessment of longitudinal change in Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 1997;11(Suppl 2):S51–6. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Raina P, Santaguida P, Ismaila A, Patterson C, Cowan D, Levine M, et al. Effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for treating dementia: evidence review for a clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148(5):379–97. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Watkins PB, Zimmerman HJ, Knapp MJ, Gracon SI, Lewis KW. Hepatotoxic effects of tacrine administration in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. JAMA. 1994;271(13):992–8. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Blackard WG, Sood GK, Crowe DR, Fallon MB. Tacrine. A cause of fatal hepatotoxicity? J Clin Gastroenterol. 1998;26(1):57–9. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Birks J, Harvey RJ. Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD001190. PubMed Google Scholar
Hansen RA, Gartlehner G, Webb AP, Morgan LC, Moore CG, Jonas DE. Efficacy and safety of donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Interv Aging. 2008;3(2):211–25. CASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Farlow MR, Salloway S, Tariot PN, Yardley J, Moline ML, Wang Q, et al. Effectiveness and tolerability of high-dose (23 mg/d) versus standard-dose (10 mg/d) donepezil in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease: a 24-week, randomized, double-blind study. Clin Ther. 2010;32(7):1234–51. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Sabbagh M, Cummings J, Christensen D, Doody R, Farlow M, Liu L, et al. Evaluating the cognitive effects of donepezil 23 mg/d in moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease: analysis of effects of baseline features on treatment response. BMC Geriatr. 2013;13:56. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Salloway S, Mintzer J, Cummings JL, Geldmacher D, Sun Y, Yardley J, et al. Subgroup analysis of US and non-US patients in a global study of high-dose donepezil (23 mg) in moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2012;27(6):421–32. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Cummings JL, Geldmacher D, Farlow M, Sabbagh M, Christensen D, Betz P. High-dose donepezil (23 mg/day) for the treatment of moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease: drug profile and clinical guidelines. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2013;19(5):294–301. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Schwartz LM, Woloshin S. How the FDA forgot the evidence: the case of donepezil 23 mg. BMJ. 2012;344:e1086. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Noetzli M, Eap CB. Pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic aspects of drugs used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2013;52(4):225–41. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Small G, Dubois B. A review of compliance to treatment in Alzheimer’s disease: potential benefits of a transdermal patch. Curr Med Res Opin. 2007;23(11):2705–13. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Boada M, Arranz FJ. Transdermal is better than oral: observational research of the satisfaction of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease treated with rivastigmine. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2013;35(1–2):23–33. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Articus K, Baier M, Tracik F, Kühn F, Preuss UW, Kurz A. A 24-week, multicentre, open evaluation of the clinical effectiveness of the rivastigmine patch in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Clin Pract. 2011;65(7):790–6. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Winblad B, Grossberg G, Frölich L, Farlow M, Zechner S, Nagel J, et al. IDEAL: a 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the first skin patch for Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2007;69(4 Suppl 1):S14–22. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Cummings JL, Ferris SH, Farlow MR, Olin JT, Meng X. Effects of rivastigmine transdermal patch and capsule on aspects of clinical global impression of change in Alzheimer’s disease: a retrospective analysis. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2010;29(5):406–12. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Alva G, Grossberg GT, Schmitt FA, Meng X, Olin JT. Efficacy of rivastigmine transdermal patch on activities of daily living: item responder analyses. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011;26(4):356–63. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Winblad B, Kawata AK, Beusterien KM, Thomas SK, Wimo A, Lane R, et al. Caregiver preference for rivastigmine patch relative to capsules for treatment of probable Alzheimer’s disease. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007;22(5):485–91. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Cummings J, Froelich L, Black SE, Bakchine S, Bellelli G, Molinuevo JL, et al. Randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, 48-week study for efficacy and safety of a higher-dose rivastigmine patch (15 vs. 10 cm2) in Alzheimer’s disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2012;33(5):341–53. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Molinuevo JL, Frölich L, Grossberg GT, Galvin JE, Cummings JL, Krahnke T, et al. Responder analysis of a randomized comparison of the 13.3 mg/24 h and 9.5 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2015;7(1):9. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, Sadowsky CH, Meng X, Somogyi M. A, 24-week, randomized, controlled trial of rivastigmine patch 13.3 mg/24 h versus 4.6 mg/24 h in severe Alzheimer’s dementia. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2013;19(10):745–52. CASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Farlow MR, Grossberg G, Gauthier S, Meng X, Olin JT. The ACTION study: methodology of a trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of a higher dose rivastigmine transdermal patch in severe Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010;26(10):2441–7. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, Sadowsky CH, Meng X, Velting DM. A 24-week, open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of 13.3 mg/24 h rivastigmine patch in patients with severe Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2015;29(2):110–6.
Lilienfeld S. Galantamine—a novel cholinergic drug with a unique dual mode of action for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. CNS Drug Rev. 2002;8(2):159–76. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Loy C, Schneider L. Galantamine for Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD001747. PubMed Google Scholar
Hager K, Baseman AS, Nye JS, Brashear HR, Han J, Sano M, et al. Effects of galantamine in a 2-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study in Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2014;10:391–401. CASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Birks J. Cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;1:CD005593. PubMed Google Scholar
Herrmann N, Chau SA, Kircanski I, Lanctôt KL. Current and emerging drug treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review. Drugs. 2011;71(15):2031–65. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Rockwood K. Size of the treatment effect on cognition of cholinesterase inhibition in Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004;75(5):677–85. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Atri A, Rountree SD, Lopez OL, Doody RS. Validity, significance, strengths, limitations, and evidentiary value of real-world clinical data for combination therapy in Alzheimer’s disease: comparison of efficacy and effectiveness studies. Neurodegener Dis. 2012;10(1–4):170–4. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Rountree SD, Atri A, Lopez OL, Doody RS. Effectiveness of antidementia drugs in delaying Alzheimer’s disease progression. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(3):338–45. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Rountree SD, Chan W, Pavlik VN, Darby EJ, Siddiqui S, Doody RS. Persistent treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine slows clinical progression of Alzheimer disease. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2009;1(2):7. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Wattmo C, Wallin Å, Londos E, Minthon L. Long-term outcome and prediction models of activities of daily living in Alzheimer disease with cholinesterase inhibitor treatment. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2011;25(1):63–72. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Gill SS, Anderson GM, Fischer HD, Bell CM, Li P, Normand SL, et al. Syncope and its consequences in patients with dementia receiving cholinesterase inhibitors: a population-based cohort study. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(9):867–73. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Park-Wyllie LY, Mamdani MM, Li P, Gill SS, Laupacis A, Juurlink DN. Cholinesterase inhibitors and hospitalization for bradycardia: a population-based study. PLoS Med. 2009;6(9):e1000157. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Hernandez RK, Farwell W, Cantor MD, Lawler EV. Cholinesterase inhibitors and incidence of bradycardia in patients with dementia in the veterans affairs new England healthcare system. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57(11):1997–2003. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Kim DH, Brown RT, Ding EL, Kiel DP, Berry SD. Dementia medications and risk of falls, syncope, and related adverse events: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011;59(6):1019–31. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Parsons C, Hughes CM, Passmore AP, Lapane KL. Withholding, discontinuing and withdrawing medications in dementia patients at the end of life: a neglected problem in the disadvantaged dying? Drugs Aging. 2010;27(6):435–49. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Parsons C, McCorry N, Murphy K, Byrne S, O’Sullivan D, O’Mahony D, et al. Assessment of factors that influence physician decision making regarding medication use in patients with dementia at the end of life. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2014;29(3):281–90. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Tjia J, Briesacher BA, Peterson D, Liu Q, Andrade SE, Mitchell SL. Use of medications of questionable benefit in advanced dementia. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(11):1763–71. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Weschules DJ, Maxwell TL, Shega JW. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and _N_-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor antagonist use among hospice enrollees with a primary diagnosis of dementia. J Palliat Med. 2008;11(5):738–45. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Parsons C, Briesacher BA, Givens JL, Chen Y, Tjia J. Cholinesterase inhibitor and memantine use in newly admitted nursing home residents with dementia. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011;59(7):1253–9. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Shega JW, Ellner L, Lau DT, Maxwell TL. Cholinesterase inhibitor and _N_-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor antagonist use in older adults with end-stage dementia: a survey of hospice medical directors. J Palliat Med. 2009;12(9):779–83. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Daiello LA, Ott BR, Lapane KL, Reinert SE, Machan JT, Dore DD. Effect of discontinuing cholinesterase inhibitor therapy on behavioral and mood symptoms in nursing home patients with dementia. Am J Geriatr Pharmacother. 2009;7(2):74–83. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Bassil N, Thaipisuttikul P, Grossberg GT. Memantine ER, a once-daily formulation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2010;11(10):1765–71. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Parsons CG, Danysz W, Dekundy A, Pulte I. Memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors: complementary mechanisms in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurotox Res. 2013;24(3):358–69. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Winblad B, Jones RW, Wirth Y, Stöffler A, Möbius HJ. Memantine in moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease: a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2007;24(1):20–7. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Porsteinsson AP, Grossberg GT, Mintzer J, Olin JT, Group MM-M-S. Memantine treatment in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease already receiving a cholinesterase inhibitor: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2008;5(1):83–9. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Howard R, McShane R, Lindesay J, Ritchie C, Baldwin A, Barber R, et al. Donepezil and memantine for moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(10):893–903. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Choi SH, Park KW, Na DL, Han HJ, Kim EJ, Shim YS, et al. Tolerability and efficacy of memantine add-on therapy to rivastigmine transdermal patches in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group study. Curr Med Res Opin. 2011;27(7):1375–83. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Grossberg GT, Manes F, Allegri RF, Gutiérrez-Robledo LM, Gloger S, Xie L, et al. The safety, tolerability, and efficacy of once-daily memantine (28 mg): a multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease taking cholinesterase inhibitors. CNS Drugs. 2013;27(6):469–78. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Tariot PN, Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, Graham SM, McDonald S, Gergel I, et al. Memantine treatment in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease already receiving donepezil: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004;291(3):317–24. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Dysken MW, Sano M, Asthana S, Vertrees JE, Pallaki M, Llorente M, et al. Effect of vitamin E and memantine on functional decline in Alzheimer disease: the TEAM-AD VA cooperative randomized trial. JAMA. 2014;311(1):33–44. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Patel L, Grossberg GT. Combination therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs Aging. 2011;28(7):539–46. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Gauthier S, Molinuevo JL. Benefits of combined cholinesterase inhibitor and memantine treatment in moderate-severe Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(3):326–31. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Atri A, Molinuevo JL, Lemming O, Wirth Y, Pulte I, Wilkinson D. Memantine in patients with Alzheimer’s disease receiving donepezil: new analyses of efficacy and safety for combination therapy. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013;5(1):6. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Matsunaga S, Kishi T, Iwata N. Combination therapy with cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014;. doi:10.1093/ijnp/pyu115. PubMed Google Scholar
Atri A, Shaughnessy LW, Locascio JJ, Growdon JH. Long-term course and effectiveness of combination therapy in Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2008;22(3):209–21. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Lopez OL, Becker JT, Wahed AS, Saxton J, Sweet RA, Wolk DA, et al. Long-term effects of the concomitant use of memantine with cholinesterase inhibition in Alzheimer disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2009;80(6):600–7. ArticleCASPubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Courtney C, Farrell D, Gray R, Hills R, Lynch L, Sellwood E, et al. Long-term donepezil treatment in 565 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD2000): randomised double-blind trial. Lancet. 2004;363(9427):2105–15. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Holmes C, Burns A, Passmore P, Forsyth D, Wilkinson D. AD2000: design and conclusions. Lancet. 2004;364(9441):1213–4 (author reply 6–7). ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Schneider LS. AD2000: donepezil in Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet. 2004;363(9427):2100–1. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Singh I, Grossberg GT. Critical appraisal and role of memantine extended-release in the management of Alzheimer’s disease. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2011;1:9–13. Google Scholar
Rogawski MA, Wenk GL. The neuropharmacological basis for the use of memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. CNS Drug Rev. 2003;9(3):275–308. ArticleCASPubMed Google Scholar
Sperling RA, Aisen PS, Beckett LA, Bennett DA, Craft S, Fagan AM, et al. Toward defining the preclinical stages of Alzheime’s disease: recommendations from the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association workgroups on diagnostic guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2011;7(3):280–92. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Gauthier S, Emre M, Farlow MR, Bullock R, Grossberg GT, Potkin SG. Strategies for continued successful treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: switching cholinesterase inhibitors. Curr Med Res Opin. 2003;19(8):707–14. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Sasaki S, Horie Y. The effects of an uninterrupted switch from donepezil to galantamine without dose titration on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer’s disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2014;4(2):131–9. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Spalletta G, Caltagirone C, Padovani A, Sorbi S, Attar M, Colombo D, et al. Cognitive and affective changes in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients undergoing switch of cholinesterase inhibitors: a 6-month observational study. PLoS One. 2014;9(2):e89216. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Cagnin A, Cester A, Costa B, Ermani M, Gabelli C, Gambina G, et al. Effectiveness of switching to the rivastigmine transdermal patch from oral cholinesterase inhibitors: a naturalistic prospective study in Alzheimer’s disease. Neurol Sci. 2015;36(3):457–63.
Han HJ, Lee JJ, Park SA, Park HY, Kim JE, Shim YS, et al. Efficacy and safety of switching from oral cholinesterase inhibitors to the rivastigmine transdermal patch in patients with probable Alzheimer’s disease. J Clin Neurol. 2011;7(3):137–42. ArticlePubMed CentralPubMed Google Scholar
Massoud F, Desmarais JE, Gauthier S. Switching cholinesterase inhibitors in older adults with dementia. Int Psychogeriatr. 2011;23(3):372–8. ArticlePubMed Google Scholar
Geldmacher DS, Frolich L, Doody RS, Erkinjuntti T, Vellas B, Jones RW, et al. Realistic expectations for treatment success in Alzheimer’s disease. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006;10(5):417–29. CASPubMed Google Scholar