The ASCOMALVA (Association between the Cholinesterase Inhibitor Donepezil and the Cholinergic Precursor Choline Alphoscerate in Alzheimer's Disease) Trial: Interim Results after Two Years of Treatment
Issue title: 2013 International Congress on Vascular Dementia
Affiliations: [a] Centro Ricerche Cliniche, Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Camerino, Italy | [b] Unità Valutativa Alzheimer e Malattie Involutive Cerebrali, Azienda Ospedaliera di Rilievo Nazionale A. Cardarelli, Napoli, Italy
Correspondence:
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Correspondence to: Francesco Amenta, Centro Ricerche Cliniche, Telemedicina e Telefarmacia Università di Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy. Tel.: +39 0737 403311/403326; Fax: +39 0737 403325; E-mail: francesco.amenta@unicam.it.
Abstract: Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChE-Is) are used for symptomatic treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), but long-term effects of these compounds are mild and not always obvious. Preclinical studies have shown that combination of ChE-Is and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate increases brain acetylcholine levels more effectively than single compounds alone. ASCOMALVA (Effect of association between a ChE-I and choline alphoscerate on cognitive deficits in AD associated with cerebrovascular injury) is a double-blind trial investigating if the ChE-I donepezil and choline alphoscerate in combination are more effective that donepezil alone. The trial has recruited AD patients suffering from ischemic brain damage documented by neuroimaging and has completed 2 years of observation in 113 patients of the 210 planned. Patients were randomly allotted to an active treatment group (donepezil + choline alphoscerate) or to a reference group (donepezil + placebo). Cognitive functions were assessed by the Mini-Mental State Evaluation and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive subscale. Daily activity was evaluated by the basic and instrumental activities of daily living tests. Behavioral symptoms were assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Over the 24-month observation period, patients of the reference group showed a moderate time-dependent worsening in all the parameters investigated. Treatment with donepezil plus choline alphoscerate significantly slowed changes of the different items analyzed. These findings suggest that the combination of choline alphoscerate with a ChE-I may prolong/increase the effectiveness of cholinergic therapies in AD with concomitant ischemic cerebrovascular injury.
