Treatment of dementia associated with Parkinson's disease

Dementia affects approximately one-third of all patients with Parkinson's disease. Currently there is no treatment to halt or reverse the disease progression. Symptomatic treatment approaches are based on substituting neurotransmitter deficits or ameliorating associated behavioral symptoms. The most prominent deficits are cholinergic, and treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChE-I) has been shown to provide some benefits in cognitive and behavioral symptoms without undue worsening in motor symptoms. Based on a large, randomized, placebo controlled trial, the ChE-I rivastigmine has been approved for the treatment of dementia associated with PD.