[Nootropic drug evaluation for general practice].

Treatment with "nootropic drugs" of patients suffering from dementia is often described as arbitrary. To define the potential usefulness of nootropic drugs, effects and side effects, economic aspects in comparison to other treatment approaches were studied. A summary of literature published concerning these criteria underlines the efficacy of nootropics in improving the symptoms at the beginning and in postponing the progress of the disease. The majority of substances does not lead to severe side effects. There are not enough studies comparing the effects of the substances or on prophylactic effects. Delayed admission to care units leads to a positive cost effect of nootropics. Thus, also for economic reasons it seems advisable to treat patients with nootropics. Better effects are gained when nootropic treatment is combined with training and changing of the structure of the environment. A proposal for a rational treatment with nootropics is derived from the data.