Medications For Memory Impairment: Improving Memory Understanding Age Related Memory Loss

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Medications for memory impairment

The treatment for memory loss depends on the cause. Sometimes it's as simple as treating an underlying disorder such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, or thyroid dysfunction. There is currently no approved prescription medication for treating normal age-related memory loss. But there are five FDA-approved medications that are moderately effective in reducing the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (see "Drugs for Alzheimer's disease," below). Some of these medications are also prescribed for mild cognitive impairment. In addition, studies of ginkgo biloba, an herbal remedy, suggest it may slow the course of Alzheimer's disease. The benefits of these treatments are only temporary, however; there are no currently approved drugs that can prevent or reverse the damage done by Alzheimer's. But several new classes of medication are under development, and there is reason to be optimistic that more effective treatments will become available (see "On the horizon").

Drugs may soon be available for people who are cognitively normal but who would nonetheless like to sharpen their memories. Some people already use prescription medications for promoting alertness, attention, and cognitive focus. However, it is unknown whether these drugs are safe for healthy people, especially over the long term. In addition, the use of such "cognitive enhancers" poses legal and ethical issues similar to those raised by the use of performance-enhancing drugs in athletic competition.

Last updated:	January 23, 2007