Regional cerebral blood flow in Alzheimer's disease: comparison between short and long-term donepezil therapy.
OBJECTIVE
Treatment with donepezil improves cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) when compared to a placebo-controlled group. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of AD patients in short-term and long-term treatment with donepezil.


METHODS
rCBF was measured by N-isopropyl-p-123I-iodoamphetamine (IMP) autoradiography method. CBF measurements were performed in 17 AD patients before treatment and after 3 months (short-term therapy) and 1 year (long-term therapy). Regions of interest were set at cerebral cortex and cerebellar hemisphere. We used absolute CBF and relative CBF expressed as ratio to cerebellar CBF.


RESULTS
Significant increases in relative rCBF were noted in the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes at the end of short-term therapy. rCBF was decreased after the long-term therapy, whereas rCBF was still increased to a slight extent, as compared with the pre-treatment levels. Absolute rCBF showed minimal change and a tendency to decline.


CONCLUSIONS
Relative rCBF significantly increased in the short-term donepezil therapy, while following the long-term therapy, rCBF decreased to the pre-treatment level.
Ushuijima
Yo
Y
Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan. yushi@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Okuyama
Chio
C
Mori
Satoru
S
Kubota
Takao
T
Nakai
Takako
T
Nishimura
Tsunehiko
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D007189:Indans; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil