There are a range of medications approved by regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to treat the cognitive manifestations of Alzheimer ’s disease. The drugs are mostly acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors. There is also NMDA receptor antagonist like Memantine. However no medication currently available can delay or halt the progression of the Alzheimer’s Disease..

Reduction in the activity of the cholinergic neurons is a well-known feature of Alzheimer’s disease. Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors are employed to reduce the rate at which acetylcholine is broken down, thereby increasing the concentration of Acetyl cholinesterase in the brain and combating the loss of Acetyl cholinesterase caused by the death of cholinergic neurons. The cholinesterase inhibitors approved for the management of AD symptoms are donepezil (Aricept), Galantamine (Razadyne), and rivastigmine ( Exelon and Exelon Patch). There is evidence for the efficacy of these medications in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, and some evidence for their use in the advanced stage.

Donepezil is approved for treatment of advanced AD dementia. The use of these drugs in mild cognitive impairment has not shown any effect in a delay of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The most common side effects are nausea and vomiting, both of which are linked to cholinergic excess. These side effects arise in approximately ten to twenty percent of users and are mild to moderate in severity.

Glutamate is a useful excitatory neurotransmitter of the nervous system, although excessive amounts in the brain can lead to cell death through a process called excitotoxicity which consists of the over stimulation of glutamate receptors. Excitotoxicity occurs not only in Alzheimer’s disease, but also in other neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Memantine (brand names Akatinol, Axura, Ebixa/Abixa, Memox and Namenda), is a noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist . It acts on the glutamatergic system by blocking NMDA receptors and inhibiting their over stimulation by glutamate. Memantine has been shown to be moderately efficacious in the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease.

 
  
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Age causes many individuals to experience bouts of forgetfulness, difficulty in learning new information and inability to think clearly. While Alzheimer’s disease is a common form of senile dementia, afflicting approximately 20% of those over the age of 65 and almost 50% of those over the age of 85, there are other brain degenerative ailments to cause such impaired mental function like dementia, Parkinson’s disease etc. There are many other factors that can destroy brain cells and reduce brain functioning by as much as half the normal levels. Decreased blood flow and oxygen to the brain, imbalances in glucose and thyroid levels (particularly below normal thyroid and hormone levels), high stress hormones, depression, and brain inflammation are other possible causes. Pesticides, fertilizers, heavy and other chemicals that can reach the body through food chain can significantly reduce brain function to levels as low as 60% of original capacity.

Many nutrients, such as the B vitamins, are critical to proper brain function. Long chain fatty acids found in marine foods is ideal for optimum brain function. The reductions in fatty acid content of the diet may contribute to degenerative changes in the nervous system. There has to be proper balance of electrolytes to control the electrical activity within the brain. Ammonia builds up in all body tissues including that of brain to remove this ammonia build the body requires ample level of bicarbonate, which is an important electrolyte.

 The aging brain slows down in terms of its electrical voltage, frequency, and reaction time. The voltage output of the brain can be easily measured using an electroencephalograph. This provides proper indication of the brain function and the relative age and health status of the brain. Also declining with age is the level of alpha functioning. Alpha is the dominant rhythm of the relaxed brain and has been associated with creative ability. An healthy young man might have alpha rhythms of 10 beats per second, while a 70-year-old might register at 7 per second. Decreases in alpha functioning indicate a reduced energy state.
 

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