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July 16, 2020In a drug already in use for Parkinson's, rotigotine, a therapeutic possibility for Alzheimer's patients: according to the clinical study published in the JAMA Network journal, the substance produces an improvement in cognitive functions in patients with mild or moderate Alzheimer's by opening to a new pharmacological option. The study was carried out at the Santa Lucia IRCCS neurorehabilitation hospital in Rome, with the support of the US Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation. Conducted by Giacomo Koch, Director of the Experimental Neuropsychophysiology laboratory of Santa Lucia, in collaboration with Alessandro Martorana of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, the trial involved 94 patients aged between 55 and 83 years.   

Rotigotine is a drug that acts on the function of the dopamine neurotransmitter. The treatments used for Alzheimer's act on the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, but according to recent studies, dopamine works in turn by improving the reasoning skills, the so-called executive functions, or higher cognitive functions. In the trial, rotigotine (administered through the skin with a patch) improved the executive functions, fundamental for reasoning, judgment, working memory and orientation. It also improved their ability to perform routine daily activities such as shopping, planning, personal hygiene and nutrition.

This means preserving their independence longer and reducing the burden on health workers. "This study shows that Alzheimer's patients can benefit from combinations of drugs that improve brain function by interacting with different neurotransmitter systems - says Koch - and could open up new therapeutic options to delay the onset of Alzheimer's dementia at an early stage. , when patients' cognitive functions and daily life skills are only slightly impaired ".