The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors for treatment of cognitive and behavioral symptoms in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a common cause of dementia with effects on cognition, mood, behavior, and function. Changes in the acetylcholine system have been reported in brains of patients with DLB, which provides a rationale for trials of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in DLB. This review includes all English-language publications found via Medline and related to the efficacy and/or safety of these compounds in DLB. Preliminary data suggest that these compounds may be efficacious in DLB and that future randomized clinical trials are strongly needed. Methodological limitations of the existing data include small sample sizes, and the paucity of standardized psychometric measures.