Rivastigmine in Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome: five patients with rivastigmine showed no more improvement than five patients without rivastigmine.

AIMS To evaluate whether rivastigmine, an achetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEl), may be effective in restoring memory in Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome (WKS). METHODS Five patients treated with rivastigmine for a period of 6 months were compared with five matched control patients, who received 6 months' conventional treatment, but without rivastigmine. Memory tests were administered at baseline and after 6 months. RESULTS Slight improvements were observed in both rivastigmine and control patients, but no significant differences in improvements were found between the study groups. CONCLUSION Treatment with rivastigmine may not be effective in restoring memory in WKS patients.