APA Dictionary of Psychology

a type of drug used to improve cognitive function, usually in the treatment of progressive dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease but also of cognitive dysfunction due to traumatic brain injury. Cognitive enhancers do not reverse the course of the dementia but are reported to slow its progress in mild to moderate forms. Many of these drugs work by inhibiting the activity of acetylcholinesterase in the central nervous system, thereby counteracting the disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Other drugs use different mechanisms for improving cognitive performance in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, including NMDA receptor antagonism and potentially the prevention of beta-amyloid plaque formation in the brain. Current cognitive enhancers include donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine. Also called memory-enhancing drug; and, formerly, nootropic.