title: A 12-week, open trial of donepezil hydrochloride in patients with multiple sclerosis and associated cognitive impairments.
abstract: Cognitive dysfunction occurs in up to 65% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), but there is no effective treatment for the symptoms. The authors conducted a 12-week, open-pilot study to assess the efficacy and tolerability of donepezil HCl administered in patients with MS and cognitive impairment. Seventeen patients at a long-term care facility with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of < or = 25 received 5 mg of donepezil HCl for a 4-week period, followed by 8 weeks of 10 mg of donepezil HCl. Cognitive, neurologic, functional, and behavioral assessments were conducted at baseline and at 4 and 12 weeks. Statistically significant improvement was observed in several cognitive domains including attention, memory, and executive functioning, as well as different aspects of behavior. These data suggest that donepezil HCl merits further study as a potentially viable treatment option for patients with cognitive impairment associated with MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York, USA. ygreene@neotonus.com
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Tariot
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wishart
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwid
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Noviasky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007189:Indans; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil