title: Donepezil treatment in Alzheimer's disease patients with and without cerebrovascular lesions: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Donepezil has not been evaluated in Korean patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) for up to 1 year. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the differential efficacy of donepezil in Korean AD patients with and without concomitant cerebrovascular lesions (CVL).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a 48-week open-label trial of donepezil in patients with probable AD of mild to moderate severity. CVL were evaluated through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings within 3 months. Efficacy analyses were performed for cognitive, behavioral and functional outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concomitant CVL were documented in 35 (30.7%) of the patients on MRI. Seventy-nine (69.3%) of the patients were considered not to have concomitant CVL. The mean Mini-Mental State Examination scores of both patients with and without CVL showed improvement at each evaluation. However, there was no statistical difference in improvement between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of CVL should not deter clinicians from treating AD with donepezil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Bobath Memorial Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Hae-Ri
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: SangYun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong-Hye
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dong-Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hee-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Jung-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mee-Young
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong-Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Byung-Kun
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Bong-Goo
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Byeong-Chae
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil