Drugs designed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could also successfully treat key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, according to an analysis published in the “Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.”
These preliminary data, the study authors say, appear to warrant clinical trials of noradrenergic drugs, which include antidepressants and drugs to treat high blood pressure and ADHD.
Researchers at Imperial College London in London, UK, explain that noradrenergic drugs target the norepinephrine neurotransmitteralso called norepinephrine, which is released by a network of specialized noradrenergic neurons.
This network is critical for arousal and many cognitive processes, including attention, learning, memory, preparing for action, and suppressing inappropriate behavior.
Noradrenergic disruption is triggered in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and contributes to the cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms that characterize the condition, suggesting that the noradrenergic system would be a good target for pharmacological treatment.
Therefore, the research authors searched for clinical trials published between 1980 and 2021 in which noradrenergic drugs, such as atomoxetine, methylphenidate, and guanfacine, had been used to potentially improve cognitive and/or neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with underlying medical conditions. neurodegenerative.
The results of these trials, involving 1,300 patients, showed a small but significant positive effect of noradrenergic drugs on general cognition
In total, they included a total of 19 randomized controlled trials focusing on Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, involving 1,811 patients: six of these trials were rated as ‘good’ quality, seven as ‘fair’ and six as ‘poor’. .
The results of these trials, involving 1,300 patients, showed a small but significant positive effect of noradrenergic drugs on general cognition.
Reuse of established noradrenergic drugs is more likely to offer effective treatment in Alzheimer’s disease for cognitive symptoms and apathy
Results from 8 clinical trials, involving 425 patients, were then pooled for behavior and neuropsychiatric symptoms, agitation and apathy. And this showed a large positive effect of noradrenergic drugs on apathy.
“Reuse of established noradrenergic drugs is more likely to offer effective treatment in Alzheimer’s disease for cognitive symptoms and apathy,” the researchers say.
This makes it exista strong rationale for conducting specific clinical trials of noradrenergic therapies in Alzheimer’s disease».