• Percentage of patients who can reach Rivastigmine target patch size 10 cm² (and stay on it for at least 8 weeks).
  

• Cognitive and global outcome of the patients: Mini-Mental-State-Examination (Screening, after 4, 8 and 24 weeks)
  
• Clinical Global Impression of Change (after 4, 8 and 24 weeks)
  
• Trail Making Test A (Baseline, after 4, 8 and 24 weeks)
  
• Activities of Daily living (Baseline, after 4, 8 and 24 weeks)
  
• Safety/tolerability data (AEs and SAEs)
  
• Patient compliance with the patch (drug accounting)
  
• Caregiver preference and satisfaction with the patch
  
• Caregiver burden (mini-Zarit score, Baseline, after 4, 8 and 24 weeks)
  

Inclusion Criteria:

• Males, and females not of child-bearing potential (surgically sterile or at least one year postmenopausal) of at least 50 years of age;
• Probable Alzheimer's disease according to the NINCDS-ADRDA (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Diseases and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association) and DSMIV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria;
• MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination) score of > 10 and < 26;
• Patients initiating therapy for the first time with a cholinesterase inhibitor (patients prescribed both Rivastigmine and memantine are allowed);
• Patients who failed to benefit from previous cholinesterase inhibitor treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients not treated according to the product monograph for Rivastigmine capsules;
• patients involved in a clinical trial;
• Current diagnosis of an active skin lesion/disorder that would prevent accurate assessment of the adhesion and potential skin irritation of the patch (e.g., atopic dermatitis, wounded or scratched skin in the area of the patch application);

Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.