BACKGROUND: Clinically Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by obscurity in onset, decline of intelligence, and dysfunctions of behavior and nerve system. The essence of AD is impairment of memory and cognition.OBJECTIVE: To explore the effective mechanism of tiaoxin recipe (TXR)and bushen recipe (BSR) in treating AD.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study.SETTING: Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Geriatrics.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 60 AD patients were selected from Shanghai Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Geriatrics from October 1999to January 2000.METHODS: Sixty patients with AD were divided into 3 groups, with 20in each group. The patients in TXR and BSR group took respectively TXR and BSR 10 mL once, 2 times per day. The patients in donepezil (Dp)group took a Dp capsule once a day, h.s (Dp was produced in England Boots Company, 5 mg per capsule). For a course consisted of 12 weeks.The changes of Mini mental state examination (MMSE) score, Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL) score, neuropsychological testing (NPT) score,including FULD object-memory evaluation (FOM), rapid verbal retrieval (RVR), digit span test (DS) and block design (BD), as well as the overall operational evaluation before and after treatment were analyzed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Scores of MMSE, ADL, NPT and the overall operational evaluation.RESULTS: Totally 60 patients entered the final analysis. ① MMSE scores in the 3 groups were decreased after treatment as compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.01). Total effective rates were 70%, 65% and 75% respectively (P ＞ 0.05). ② ADL scores in the 3 groups were decreased after treatment as compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.05or P ＜ 0.01). Total effective rates were 45%, 45% and 40% respectively (P ＞ 0.05). ③ Total effective rates were 70%, 65% and 75% respectively (P ＞ 0.05). ④ Scores of FOM were increased in the TXR and the Dp group after treatment as compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.05). RVR scores in the three groups were increased after treatment as compared with tbose before treatment (P ＜ 0.05); DS scores were increased in TXR group and Dp group after treatment as compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01); and BD scores in BSR group were increased after treatment as compared with those before treatment (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUTION: TXR, BSR and Dp can improve cognitive function and daily living ability of AD patients, and TXR and BSR are effective TCM drugs in treating AD.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by its gradual progression. At present, the cause and mechanism of AD are yet unclear, and there is no effective therapy for treating it. With development of global aging, the prevalence rate of AD is increasing. The life quality of elderly people is affected severely by AD that is ultimately life-threatening. Recently, study on treating AD with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has deepened.