title: Motor cortex excitability changes in mild Alzheimer's disease are reversed by donepezil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent neuroimaging studies in humans support the clinical observations that the motor cortex is affected early in the course of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We used transcranial magnetic stimulation to measure the active cortical motor threshold (ACMT) in AD patients in the very early stage of the disease, and we explored whether and in which way the pharmacologic manipulation of the cholinergic system could have a direct effect on the excitability of the motor cortex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An increase of the ACMT was observed in AD patients in the early stage in comparison to controls. After 2 months of treatment with donepezil, the threshold did not differ significantly from normal subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest an early functional impairment of cholinergic neurotransmission in AD, which is associated to early changes in the excitability of the motor system.
authors: University Department of Neurology - CHR Citadelle, Liège, Belgium.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Balla
authors: Alain
authors: A
authors: Maertens de Noordhout
authors: Jean Louis
authors: JL
authors: Pepin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil