Commonly Used Medications Linked to Dementia A new study reveals that higher doses or prolonged use of medications with anticholinergic effects significantly increases the risk for developing dementia. Although, this is not the first study to discover such a link, it is the first to suggest that the risk of dementia as a result of taking such medications may not be reversible.“An anticholinergic agent is a substance that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and the peripheral nervous system. Anticholinergics inhibit parasympathetic nerve impulses by selectively blocking the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to its receptor in nerve cells. The nerve fibers of the parasympathetic...
