title: Adjunctive treatment for cognitive impairment in patients with chronic schizophrenia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
abstract: Cognitive impairment is closely related to real-life functioning in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of adjunctive treatment with donepezil on cognition in patients with chronic schizophrenia. This was a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of donepezil as an adjunct to antipsychotic drug therapy in patients with chronic stable schizophrenia. Sixty-one subjects were randomized to receive donepezil 5 mg/day (n=31) and/or placebo (n=30). A nine-test neuropsychological assessment battery was administered at baseline and at the end of the study. At the 12-week end point, the donepezil group showed significant improvements in the Wechsler Memory Scale Third Edition Spatial Span, Brief Visuospatial Memory Test total recall and delayed recall, Trail-Making Test Part A, and Category Fluency Test-animal naming (all P≤0.018). Compared with placebo, donepezil was associated with significant improvement in several cognitive domains, including working memory, speed of information processing, and visual learning and memory (P≤0.008). The results of the present study suggest that adjunctive use of donepezil is beneficial for improving cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; Brain Hospital of Hunan Province, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Weiwei
authors: W
authors: Zhu
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zhanchou
authors: Z
authors: Zhang
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jingfeng
authors: J
authors: Qi
authors: First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, People's Republic of China.
authors: Fang
authors: F
authors: Liu
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jindong
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jingping
authors: J
authors: Zhao
authors: Institute of Mental Health, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Changsha, People's Republic of China ; Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
authors: Xiaofeng
authors: X
authors: Guo
keywords: cognitive function; donepezil; schizophrenia