title: Donepezil for Irradiated Brain Tumor Survivors: A Phase III Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neurotoxic effects of brain irradiation include cognitive impairment in 50% to 90% of patients. Prior studies have suggested that donepezil, a neurotransmitter modulator, may improve cognitive function.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 198 adult brain tumor survivors ≥ 6 months after partial- or whole-brain irradiation were randomly assigned to receive a single daily dose (5 mg for 6 weeks, 10 mg for 18 weeks) of donepezil or placebo. A cognitive test battery assessing memory, attention, language, visuomotor, verbal fluency, and executive functions was administered before random assignment and at 12 and 24 weeks. A cognitive composite score (primary outcome) and individual cognitive domains were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of this mostly middle-age, married, non-Hispanic white sample, 66% had primary brain tumors, 27% had brain metastases, and 8% underwent prophylactic cranial irradiation. After 24 weeks of treatment, the composite scores did not differ significantly between groups (P = .48); however, significant differences favoring donepezil were observed for memory (recognition, P = .027; discrimination, P = .007) and motor speed and dexterity (P = .016). Significant interactions between pretreatment cognitive function and treatment were found for cognitive composite (P = .01), immediate recall (P = .05), delayed recall (P = .004), attention (P = .01), visuomotor skills (P = .02), and motor speed and dexterity (P < .001), with the benefits of donepezil greater for those who were more cognitively impaired before study treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with donepezil did not significantly improve the overall composite score, but it did result in modest improvements in several cognitive functions, especially among patients with greater pretreatment impairments.
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. srapp@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: L Doug
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Case
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peiffer
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Naughton
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Volker W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Stieber
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Dennis F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Falchuk
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: James V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Piephoff
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Edenfield
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Giguere
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Monica E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Loghin
authors.affiliation: Stephen R. Rapp, L. Doug Case, Ann Peiffer, Michelle M. Naughton, Michael D. Chan, and Edward G. Shaw, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Wake Forest Community Clinical Oncology Program Research Base; Volker W. Stieber, Novant Health System, Winston-Salem, NC; Dennis F. Moore Jr, Wichita Community Clinical Oncology Program, Wichita, KS; Steven C. Falchuk, Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, DE; James V. Piephoff, Mercy Hospital, St Louis, MO; William J. Edenfield and Jeffrey K. Giguere, Cancer Center of Carolinas, Greenville, SC; and Monica E. Loghin, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Edward G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D000077265:Donepezil; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil