Methods for treating lewy body dementia

Abstract

The invention describes novel methods for treating and preventing dementia caused by vascular diseases; dementia associated with Parkinson's disease; Lewy Body dementia; AIDS dementia; mild cognitive impairments; age-associated memory impairments; cognitive impairments and/or dementia associated with neurologic and/or psychiatric conditions, including epilepsy, brain tumors, brain lesions, multiple sclerosis, Down's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, progressive supranuclear palsy, frontal lobe syndrome, and schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders; cognitive impairments caused by traumatic brain injury, post coronary artery by-pass graft surgery, electroconvulsive shock therapy, and chemotherapy, administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the cholinesterase inhibitor compounds described herein. The invention also describes novel methods for treating and preventing delirium, Tourette's syndrome, myasthenia gravis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, dyslexia, mania, depression, apathy, and myopathy associated with diabetes by administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the cholinesterase inhibitor compounds described herein. The invention also describes novel methods for delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease, for enhancing cognitive functions, for treating and preventing sleep apnea, for alleviating tobacco withdrawal syndrome, and for treating the dysfunctions of Huntington's Disease by administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the cholinesterase inhibitor compounds described herein. A preferred cholinesterase inhibitor for use in the methods of the invention is donepezil hydrochloride or ARICEPT®.

1 . A method for treating Lewy body dementia in a patient in need thereof comprising orally administering to the patient 5 milligrams to 10 milligrams per day of a compound of formula (IV) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     or a stereoisomer thereof.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     or a stereoisomer thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is a compound of formula (VI) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is a compound of formula (VII) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
   
   
       5 . A method for treating Lewy body dementia in a patient in need thereof comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (IV) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     or a stereoisomer thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     or a stereoisomer thereof.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is a compound of formula (VI) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV) is a compound of formula (VII) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in an amount of about 1 mg to about 100 mg.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in an amount of about 5 mg to about 10 mg.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in an amount of about 5 milligrams.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in an amount of about 10 milligrams.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is orally administered.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is orally administered in the form of a tablet.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is topically administered to the epidermis.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the stereoisomer thereof, and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered by nasal inhalation.  
   
   
       17 . A method for treating one or more symptoms caused by Lewy body dementia in a patient in need thereof comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (IV) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:  
     
       
         
         
             
             
         
       
     
     or a stereoisomer thereof.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and/or the stereoisomer thereof are orally administered to the patient in an amount of 5 milligrams to 10 milligrams per day.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and/or the stereoisomer thereof are orally administered to the patient.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the compound of formula (IV), the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and/or the stereoisomer thereof are administered in an amount of 1 mg to 100 mg.