Effects of Rivastigmine Combined with Reinhartdt and Sea Cucumber Capsule in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: A Pilot Study

Yongxing Yan, Lizhen Liang, Tao Xie, Yonghui Shen, Yanjing Cao

Department of Neurology, The Third People’s Hospital of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China.
Department of Neurology, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/cm.2014.52011                

Abstract

Many patients with Parkinson’s disease suffer cognitive impairment or dementia. Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) have positive effects on patients with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD). But it is only improve symptoms. There is no etiological cure for PDD. So, In order to achieve the best outcomes, the combination of ChEIs and other therapeutic strategies is needed to study. In the present study, we investigate the efficacy and safety of rivastigmine combined with Reinhartdt and Sea Cucumber Capsule (RSC) in patients with mild-to-moderate PDD, and its effect on thyroid function. There were 52 patients were randomly assigned to receive either rivastigmine (3 mg/ day) or rivastigmine plus RSC (2.7 g/day) treatment for 24 weeks. Efficacy was investigated by the change of the scores of Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), Activities of Daily Life (ADL) and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) part III (motor scale). Meanwhile, thyroid hormone levels were detected before and after 12 weeks, 24 weeks treatment in all patients. Results showed that the patients treated with rivastigmine plus RSC showed more improvement in the cognition and the daily life activities compared to those treated with rivastigmine alone. Significant difference was present after being treated for 12 weeks or more. However, no group difference was found on UPDRS part III, thyroid hormone level change and the incidence of adverse events (11.1% vs 16.0%) between the two groups of treatment. Adverse effects were nausea and vomiting which were the main reasons for the dropout. The finding suggests that Rivastigmine plus RSC may improves the treatment effects in cognition and the ADL of the patients with mild-to-moderate PDD, compared with the rivastigmine treatment alone. However, no effect was observed on the motor symptoms and thyroid hormone levels. In addition, this joint treatment is safe.

Keywords

Parkinson’s Disease, Cognitive Function, Rivastigmine, Reinhartdt and Sea Cucumber

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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