Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, and is the commonest cause of dementia. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) were developed under the cholinergic hypothesis of AD. Therapeutic strategies with these drugs aimed to enhance cholinergic neurotransmission in specific parts of the brain, and to improve the clinical symptoms of AD. Donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine are commonly used AChEIs in pharmacotherapy for AD, slowing the progression and controlling the symptoms of AD. Although these drugs have different pharmacological properties, there is no clear evidence of differences between them with respect to efficacy. It is possible to adapt AChEIs for the pharmacotherapy of other conditions, such as vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Down syndrome.