title: A pilot study for the effects of donepezil therapy on cerebral and optic nerve head blood flow, visual field defect in normal-tension glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of donepezil hydrochloride, an agent for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), on the cerebral and optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow, visual field defect in normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) patients with decreased cerebral blood flow (CBF) that demonstrates an AD-like perfusion pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 5 NTG patients who exhibited AD-like decreased CBF upon (123)I-iodoamphetamine single photon emission computed tomography ((123)I-IMP SPECT). Donepezil hydrochloride (5 mg/day) was prescribed for each patient during a period of 12 months. Intraocular pressure (IOP), mean deviation (MD) of the Humphrey visual field, ONH blood flow determined by a laser speckle flowgraphy, and regional CBF (rCBF) determined by (123)I-IMP SPECT were measured before and every 6 months during the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MD, ONH blood flow, and rCBF were improved significantly after 6 months of the treatment, although IOP did not change significantly. No deterioration of NTG morbidity was found in any of the measured parameters after 12 months of the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of donepezil hydrochloride in NTG patients might prevent deterioration of visual field defect, ONH blood flow, and rCBF in the temporal, parietal, and posterior lobes. This pilot study suggested the possibility that donepezil hydrochloride might ameliorate glaucomatous optic neuropathy in NTG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ujigawa Hospital, vji, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Keita
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Tsunehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D020367:Iofetamine; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D000077265:Donepezil; D020367:Iofetamine