Subject : A survey to assess the usage pattern of Rivastigmine in the management of dementia in Alzheimer's disease patients in India
Dementia is a syndrome that presents as impairment of mental processes, such as memory, thinking, reasoning and judgement, and thus seriously impairs an individual's ability to perform functions of daily living. The syndrome is typically caused by a group of progressive, neurodegenerative brain disorders that occur in older age. The cost of care of people with dementia is enormous, at both the family and societal level. Therefore, it presents a substantial challenge, both in terms of public health and global economics. According to WHO estimates, ~50 million people have dementia worldwide, with 10 million new diagnoses every year. The estimated dementia prevalence for adults ages 60+ in India is 7.4%, with significant age and education gradients, sex and urban/rural differences, and cross-state variation. In 2010, the Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India estimated that 3.7 million Indians had dementia and projected that this number would double by 2030
Treatment of AD initially focused on non-specific enhancement of brain perfusion and neuronal activity, involving drugs such as piracetam, dihydroergotoxine, and pyritinol. Subsequent drugs aimed to rectify neurodegeneration-induced neurotransmitter imbalance in the brain. For instance, anticholinesterase drugs such as rivastigmine, galantamine, and donepezil increase acetylcholine (ACh) levels in the cortex, and NMDA receptor-antagonists like memantine protect neurons against excess activity of glutamate Physicians, therefore, have a wide armamentarium of pharmacologically-diverse drugs at their disposal, to administer to patients with AD.
Rivastigmine is a medication used to manage and treat neurodegenerative disease, specifically dementia, in patients with Alzheimer and Parkinson disease. It is in the cholinesterase inhibitor class of drugs. In pathologic states like Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease, the upregulation of cholinesterase enzymes is much higher than normal. Unlike other cholinesterase inhibitors, rivastigmine has been shown to reversibly bind to and inhibit both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) enzymes, causing an overall increase in acetylcholine Results from seven trials showed that patients on rivastigmine (6 to 12 mg/day by mouth, or 9.5 mg/day by skin patch) were better for three outcomes than those on placebo, after six months of treatment. This survey is conducted to assess the usage pattern of Rivastigmine in the management of dementia in Alzheimer's disease patients in India.
As you will be spending some extra time to give your feedback on the questionnaire based on your clinical experience, we offer to pay you by cheque a professional fee of Rs {{$contractAmount}}, on receiving the completed Survey Questionnaire Form from you.
We trust you and we are partners in promoting safe and effective drug therapy. In that spirit we hope you will consent to participate in this study. If you do, please sign and return the enclosed reply along with your visiting card for accuracy of records.
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