ADHD drugs may treat Alzheimers disease

The results of recent clinical trials published on 5th July 2022 have revealed that ADHD drugs may treat Alzheimer’s dementia as well, in light of “good evidence”. 

Scitechdaily.com have reported that the noradrenergic drugs which are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be useful in the treatment of key elements Alzheimer’s disease, according to a pooled data analysis published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 

Noradrenegic drugs, also called norepinephrine, include antidepressents such as bupropion, reboxetine and clonidine and some types of blood pressure treatments as well as ADHD medications. They work by regulating levels of the noradrenaline (also called norepinephrine) neurotransmitter in the body which improves brain chemistry and communication in brain nerve cell circuitry. Norepinephrine is released by the adrenal gland in response to stress and low blood pressure.

It’s important that this network of specialised noradrenergic neurons is regulated in order to enable cognitive processes such as attention, memory, learning, reactivity and suppression of inappropriate behaviours. 

Because noradrenergic disruption is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s and is partially responsible for the characteristic cognitive and neuropsychiatric degeneration caused by the disease, it makes sense that the same treatment used for depression and ADHD to improve these cognitive functions could have the same effect in the case of Alzheimer’s. 

Measuring the results of the study by the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale, clinical trials showed small but significant positive changes in overall cognition of people with Alzheimer’s disease. 

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