The role of association between the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate and sulodexide in vascular dementia

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome of acquired intellectual deficit resulting in significant impairment of social or occupational functioning. Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common causes of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, causing around 15% of cases. However, unlike Alzheimer’s disease an involvement of the cerebral cholinergic system in the pathophysiology of VaD has been hypothesized and there is no standard treatment. In the Vascular Dementia Italian Sulodexide Study (VA.D.I.S.S.) the positive results obtained with the sulodexide are worthy of note. In this study 40 elderly subjects with recent onset (less than 9 month) slight to moderate mental deterioration due to vascular origin were observed for nine months during oral treatment with sulodexide and choline alphoscerate with the aim of analyzing whether therapeutic effects can be enhanced. These preliminary results suggest that the additional therapy of choline alphoscerate with sulodexide represents a way to increase the beneficial effects of cholinergic therapies in the VaD and improve all the different examinate score: mini mental state evaluation (MMSE), basic activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).