Patient and caregiver outcomes after 6 ± 1.5-months of rivastigmine therapy for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease: The Belgian FExT study

Objective: Despite response variability, Cholinesterase inhibitors are recommended in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Dose titration is common; however randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have mainly investigated fixed-dose regimens. We examined practice patterns and outcomes of 6 ± 1.5-month rivastigmine therapy. Methods: Prospective, pharmacoepidemiologic, naturalistic study of 175 evaluable patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (+ 151 caregivers) from 52 centers in Belgium on 6 ± 1.5 month (titrated) rivastigmine treatment. Main outcome measures: Measured at baseline (enrollment) and follow-up (6 ± 1.5 months). For patients: Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) scores; treatment response (improvement, maintenance, or decline less than normative slope). For caregivers: hours/week spent caring; Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS), 12-item version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores.