Use of Alternative Medicine in Patients With Dementia and Mild Cognitive Dysfunction

So far, no drugs have shown to stop or delay the pathological processes of dementia. Available pharmacological treatment includes a small number of drugs; cholinesterase inhibitors like donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine, and the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine, all of which only affect the symptoms of the disease. At the same time, alternative medicines like herbal products and dietary supplements are often intensively marketed with the assertion of curative or alleviating effects on dementia. The documentation of clinical effects, side effects and the potential for interaction with prescribed drugs are, however, generally scarce. The aims of this study are to make a survey of the use of alternative medicine in patients with dementia and mild cognitive dysfunction attending the investigators out-patient dementia clinic, and to assess the interaction potential with the patient's other medications.