title: Acute mood effect of donepezil in young, healthy volunteers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic use of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil has been found to improve mood or to induce mania/hypomania in many neuropsychiatric patients with altered cholinergic and dopaminergic tone. Our aim was to determine whether acutely administered donepezil would alter mood in volunteers with no such alterations.
  
  
  METHODS
  This investigation was a double-blind, crossover design study of 15 young, healthy male participants who were allocated in random order to three oral treatments: placebo and 5-mg and 7.5-mg donepezil (doses which exert clinical and acute cognitive effects without considerable peripheral side effects). At the theoretical peak-plasma concentrations of donepezil, volunteers rated how they felt on validated questionnaires, which included various dimensions of subjective feelings. We also assessed changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is increased by donepezil after chronic regimes and is related to modulation of mood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Donepezil significantly increased ratings of vigour and anxiety symptoms (medium effect sizes). No changes in bodily symptoms or BDNF were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute donepezil administration in participants with unaltered cholinergic and dopaminergic tone led to positive and negative changes in affect. These results call for further research on the direct mood effects of donepezil.
authors: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. spompeia@gmail.com
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Pompeia
authors: Juliana Ramos
authors: JR
authors: Gouveia
authors: José Carlos Fernandes
authors: JC
authors: Galduróz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D000077265:Donepezil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil