Nonpharmacological treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease: from animal testing to clinical studies

Abstract

Despite extensive pharmacological approaches, there is no curative therapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other types ofdementias. While current pharmacological options alleviate some symptoms of AD, they can lead to various adverse effects. Hence,nonpharmacological treatment options for AD are often considered with the assumption that they are safe, effective, and economic inmanaging patients. Furthermore, studies on animal models have suggested that environmental exposures like diet, music, or rewardrelatedactions can stimulate neuronal regeneration and differentiation without using any pharmacological factors. The aim of thisreview is to provide a summary of nonpharmacological treatment options for the management of cognitive, emotional, and behavioralsymptoms of AD. In addition, this review provides an overview of the challenging and encouraging experiences and recent studies andproblems in cognitive training related to animal models. Nonpharmacological studies of AD are discussed in this literature review interms of animal models, physical activity, brain stimulation, and the role of social communication.