Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) enhances the effects of Alzheimer’s disease medicine
- In combination with cholinesterase inhibitors, CST is shown to be more effective against dementia in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than medicine alone.
- This is promising for combining Brain+ CST products with AD medicine in multi-modal treatment plans to improve patient health outcomes.
- Combination treatments could enhance the value of product portfolios for pharmaceutical companies and could thus lead to strategic partnerships for Brain+.
A key finding from the recently released 2nd systematic Cochrane review (Woods et al., 2023) is the confirmation that medication combined with CST results in significantly larger benefits over and above that of medication alone. More specifically, patients that take part in CST demonstrate improvements in general cognition, Quality of Life and communication, to name just a few.
Specifically, patients with Alzheimer’s disease benefit the most if they take part in CST while being prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors (ACHEI medication, the most common Alzheimer’s medication today), as highlighted in five studies summarized by Orrell and colleagues (2017).
This highlights the synergistic effect of CST with ACHEI medication for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and represents a promising avenue for pharma partnerships on combining Brain+ CST products with Alzheimer’s medications, both the classic ACHEI and the newer medicines being approved.
We believe, based on the current body of evidence, that there exists a big potential for multi-modal treatments, combining disease modifying pharmaceuticals with cognitively stimulating and demanding tasks, such as Brain+ digital CST. The mechanisms of action are complementary, and in a number of cases could be synergistic, when the drug enables neuroplasticity. Combination treatments are relevant both for the existing Alzheimer’s pharmaceuticals and new drugs currently in development.
Simon Nielsen, Chief Science & Innovation officer of Brain+
CST is positioned to become the global standard of care
The 2nd Cochrane review is another major support to CST. It is recommended for global implementation in the World Alzheimer’s Report 2022 and highlighted by the World Health Organization’s major report on dementia research and care. Brain+ is uniquely positioned to benefit from this positive momentum for CST as the pioneer of digital CST and working with the global Key Opinion Leaders. CST is now used in 37 countries, and Brain+ has initially targeted Denmark (home market), Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sources & background
2nd Cochrane Review, 2023
Cognitive stimulation to improve cognitive functioning in people with dementia https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005562.pub3/full
1st Cochrane Review, 2012
Cognitive stimulation to improve cognitive functioning in people with dementia
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22336813/
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) in Alzheimer’s
Also often called cholinesterase inhibitors. In people with Alzheimer’s disease, certain nerve cells are much less active. This means that it takes longer for brain signals to be sent. Cholinesterase inhibitors aim to increase communication between the nerve cells to try to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
