Definition

Cholinesterase inhibitors are a group of drugs prescribed to treat symptoms resulting from the early and middle stages of Alzheimer disease.

Purpose

Cholinesterase inhibitors are drugs that block the activity of an enzyme in the brain called cholinesterase. Cholinesterase breaks apart the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is vital for the transmission of nerve impulses. Cholinesterase inhibitors are used to reduce the action of cholinesterase, thereby making more acetylcholine available to nerve cells in the brain.

For normal nerve-to-nerve communication to occur, the excess acetylcholine must be dissolved following the transmission of a nerve impulse. This is the normal function of cholinesterase. This enzyme dissolves acetylcholine into its component molecules; acetate and choline. These building...