TY - JOUR T1 - Review: donepezil, metrifonate, rivastigmine, and <em>Ginkgo biloba</em> are more effective than placebo in Alzheimer's disease JF - Evidence Based Medicine JO - Evid Based Med SP - 14 LP - 14 DO - 10.1136/ebm.6.1.14 VL - 6 IS - 1 A2 - , Y1 - 2001/01/01 UR - http://ebm.bmj.com/content/6/1/14.abstract N2 - . Wolfson C, Moride Y, Perrault A, et al. Drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease. I. A comparative analysis of clinical trials. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA);2000 May..
 
 QUESTION: Which drugs are most effective for adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD)? Studies were identified by searching Medline, CINAHL, Applied Science and Technology, Core Biomedical Collection, Core Biomedical Collection III, PsycINFO, HealthSTAR, the Cochrane Library, references of review articles, and personal files. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were selected if they were full reports published from 1986 to 1999 on drugs that were on the market or in phase III clinical trials; had a quality score ≥5 on the 8 item Jadad scale (maximum score 8); and used the US National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria to diagnose AD. Data were extracted on RCT methods and duration, patients, type of drug, completion rates, adverse effects, and outcomes. 26 RCTs met the selection criteria. Donepezil: 4 RCTs compared donepezil with placebo for 12 weeks (2 RCTs) or 24 weeks (2 RCTs). A benefit on the Alzheimer Disease Assessment-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) was seen for donepezil, 5 mg/day, in 4 RCTs (difference in … ER -