Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Lesions in alzheimer's disease are characterized by high levels of a variety of cells and proteins associated with the immune system. T-lymphocytes infiltrate the tissue of Alzheimer's patients and high levels of glycoproteins and complementary receptors are expressed. Several substances associated with the plaques typical in Alzheimer's patients, including the beta amyloid protein, activate the the pathway of the complement by binding to the receptors. Anti-inflammatories limit inflammation. These observations suggest that there is an autoimmune response occurring in the brain. This further leads to the idea that anti-inflammatory drugs may be able to reverse the autodestruction that is typical in Alzheimer's disease. (McGeer & McGeer, 1996)

Several studies have been conducted to measure the effectiveness of glucocorticoid and nonsteroid anti-inflammatories on the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Almost all of these studies point to the amelioration of the disease through use of anti-inflammatory drugs. (Breitner, 1996) One study in particular made observations on 210 patients with the disease and their progressions either under the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or without these drugs. The patients who took the drugs performed better on standardized exams and had less decline in verbal fluency, spatial recognition and orientation than those who were not on the NSAIDs. (Brandt et al, 1995)

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