[The efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia: a pilot case control study.].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of donepezil for post-stroke aphasia.


METHODS
Sixty patients with acute post-stroke aphasia were divided into treatment group and a control group. All patients had been treated for secondary prevention according to the guideline. The treatment group received donepezil hydrochloride (5 mg/d) for 12 weeks. The efficacy of treatment was measured by comparing the changes of scores of Western Aphasia Battery (WAB) between baseline and 12 weeks later.


RESULTS
Compared with the baseline, the changes of scores of all items of WAB and Aphasia Quotient (AQ) in both group after 12 weeks follow-up were great, however, the change of AQ was significantly greater in donepezil group (34.14 +/- 17.70)than that in control group (20.69 +/- 17.26)(P = 0.004). The patients in donepezil group also showed significant recovery in spontaneous speech, comprehension, repetition, and naming than those in control group (P < 0.05). The rate of significant improving in donepezil group was 60.0% which was significantly greater than that in control group (26.7%) (P = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
There are spontaneous recovery of post-stroke aphasia within 3 months. Donepezil may facilitate the recovery in spontaneous speech, comprehension, repetition, and naming functions.
Chen
Ying
Y
Department of Neurology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China.
Li
Yan-Sheng
YS
Wang
Zhi-Ying
ZY
Xu
Qun
Q
Shi
Guo-Wen
GW
Lin
Yan
Y
D001037:Aphasia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke