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There have been a few queries about Aricept, a new drug which has been found to arrest or slow down the rate of degeneration of people with Altzheimer's, Naturally, people are asking is it good for Parkinson's as well. >From what I have been able to glean, the answer has to be no. - It seems that Aricept works in AD patients by assisting the formation of additional acetylcholine, the neuro-transmitter involved with those parts of the brain. People on this list will be aware that one of the early treatments involves the use of Artane; an anticholinergic drug (i.e. one which tries to reduce the amount of acetylcholine in 'our' areas of the brain. Thus Artane and Aricept will be mutually competitive. I wonder: If some people get a favourable reaction to Aricept, it may be that they have actually got a case of mis- diagnosed Alzheimer's.? -- Brian Collins <[log in to unmask]>