Apathy Treatment in Alzheimer’s Disease: Interim Results of the ASCOMALVA Trial

Abstract

The combination of donepezil with choline alphoscerate is more effective than donepezil alone in countering symptoms of apathy in AD. This suggests that the availability in brain of a higher amount of acetylcholine could affect apathy in AD subjects with spared executive functions.

The Effect of the Association between Donepezil and Choline Alphoscerate on Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer’s Disease: Interim Results of the ASCOMALVA Trial

“…For clarity, the main characteristics of the ASCO-MALVA study are detailed below. Further details are reported in previous studies of our group [34][35][36]. Patients, diagnosed according to NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, were all in a mild/moderate-stage, showed brain ischemic lesions (in CT or MRI), and had at least two vascular risk factors (such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, ischemic heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, smoking, previous cerebrovascular events, or family history of cardio-cerebrovascular diseases).…”

Pharmacologic Approaches for the Management of Apathy in Neurodegenerative Disorders

“…In the ASCOMALVA study, comparing a subgroup of AD individuals (n = 56) receiving a combination of donepezil and choline alphoscerate (a cholinergic precursor) versus a subgroup (n = 57) with donepezil alone (24-month treatment period), the combined treatment was more effective on apathy levels than donepezil alone (Rea et al, 2015;Carotenuto et al, 2017).…”

Receptive music interventions improve apathy and depression in elderly patients with dementia

“…For some pharmacotherapies, including antipsychotic review, improvement of apathy was found only in combination with non pharmacological approaches. [40][41][42][43] As reviewed recently by Leong, 44 several randomized placebo-controlled interventions reported negative outcomes for antidepressant efficacy in dementia. Well-controlled studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses [45][46][47] have shown no reliable and convincing efficacy of antidepressants in patients with dementia and co-occurring depressive disorders.…”