Evaluation of the effect of donepezil on cerebral blood flow velocity in Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of Donepezil on cerebral blood flow velocity using non-invasive transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography.


METHODS
This clinical trial was carried out in the Department of Neurology, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran from March 2008 to July 2009, on Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in 2 groups of case and control, each consisting of 11 patients. The case group who received Donepezil medication was examined by TCD before (baseline), after 4 weeks of oral treatment with 5 mg per day Donepezil, and a further 4 weeks of 10mg per day Donepezil, orally. The control group comprised AD patients who did not receive any medications, and were examined by TCD only once. Peak systolic (PSV), end-diastolic (EDV), and mean flow (MFV) velocities of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was assessed by TCD. Also, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was carried out.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the case and control groups, in terms of age and gender. In the case group, the mean MMSE score reached 20.2 +/- 2.8 from a baseline value of 15.8 +/- 3.3 after 4 weeks of oral treatment with 5 mg/d Donepezil, and reached 20.6 +/- 3.9 after 4 more weeks at 10 mg/d Donepezil. In the MCA, the difference in PSV and MFV values after 4 weeks of treatment with 10 mg/d Donepezil was statistically significant compared with the baseline values. In PCA, the values of MFV and EDV after 4 weeks of treatment with 10 mg/d Donepezil were statistically significant in comparison with the baseline value.


CONCLUSIONS
Donepezil (10 mg/d) increased cerebral blood flow velocity and MMSE score in our AD patients, but more extensive trials are recommended.
Ghorbani
Abbas
A
Department of Neurology, Isfahan Neuroscience Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Chitsaz
Ahmad
A
Shishegar
Mehdi
M
Akbari
Mojtaba
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020769:Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial / Q000379:methods
D007189:Indans; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil