PMID: 15374020Sep 18, 2004Paper

Donepezil for the treatment of behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease: a 6-month open trial

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Yoram BarakD Aizenberg

Abstract

Behavioral and psychological signs of dementia (BPSD) are common clinical characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). They result in patient and caregivers distress, decreased quality of life and placement in nursing homes. Treatment of BPSD with antidepressant and antipsychotic medications is not without complications and serious adverse effects. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) show preliminary promise as psychotropic agents possibly able to improve BPSD in AD patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of donepezil (an AChEI) as an only treatment for AD patients with BPSD. Ten consecutive AD patients hospitalized at a psychogeriatric ward due to BPSD were treated with donepezil for 24 weeks. Effect was measured using the NeuroPsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Significant reduction in the presence of delusions, irritability/lability and disinhibition were achieved after 24 weeks of donepezil treatment. This was accompanied by reduction in caregivers distress. The drug was well tolerated and all patients completed the study. Our findings complement the preliminary data that donepezil as well as other AChEIs are promising candidates for further study as psychotropic agents positively affecting BPSD in AD pat...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 26, 2010·International Psychogeriatrics·Serge GauthierConstantine Lyketsos
Dec 7, 2002·Clinical Neuropharmacology·Diana PaleacuYoram Barak
Mar 15, 2011·Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders·Manuel Martin CarrascoTeresa Leon
Mar 31, 2009·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology·Susan Bookheimer, Alison Burggren
Aug 12, 2006·Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders·Corinne FischerSean B Rourke
Mar 2, 2017·Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology·Christos TheleritisAntonios Politis
May 31, 2007·American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias·Luca RozziniAlessandro Padovani
Jan 27, 2006·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·J Birks, R J Harvey
Jan 5, 2012·Psychiatry Investigation·Nina KhachiyantsKye Y Kim
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Aug 2, 2002·Current Opinion in Neurology·Frédéric Assal, Jeffrey L Cummings
Jan 1, 2014·Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova·S I Gavrilova, I V Kolykhalov
Jun 21, 2018·The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·Jacqueline S Birks, Richard J Harvey
Nov 5, 2019·Frontiers in Pharmacology·Christos G TheleritisAntonios M Politis

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