Treatment of Alzheimer disease by continuous intravenous infusion of physostigmine

Physostigmine, a reversible and nonselective cholinesterase inhibitor, administered by steady-state, continuous intravenous infusion to carefully selected subjects with mild-moderate Alzheimer disease, produced significant but modest improvement in memory in five of nine subjects. Drug dosing was limited by the occurrence of adverse effects. Apparent tolerance to adverse effects was observed in two subjects when the dose of physostigmine was escalated slowly over at least 2 weeks. Steady-state cholinesterase inhibition by physostigmine appears to produce sustained cognitive improvement in some subjects with Alzheimer disease without substantially altering its therapeutic index.