title: Normal Hearing Ability but Impaired Auditory Selective Attention Associated with Prediction of Response to Donepezil in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have a poor response to the voices of caregivers. After administration of donepezil, caregivers often find that patients respond more frequently, whereas they had previously pretended to be "deaf." We investigated whether auditory selective attention is associated with response to donepezil.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were40 AD patients, 20 elderly healthy controls (HCs), and 15 young HCs. Pure tone audiometry was conducted and an original Auditory Selective Attention (ASA) test was performed with a MoCA vigilance test. Reassessment of the AD group was performed after donepezil treatment for 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hearing level of the AD group was the same as that of the elderly HC group. However, ASA test scores decreased in the AD group and were correlated with the vigilance test scores. Donepezil responders (MMSE 3+) also showed improvement on the ASA test. At baseline, the responders had higher vigilance and lower ASA test scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to the common view, AD patients had a similar level of hearing ability to healthy elderly. Auditory attention was impaired in AD patients, which suggests that unnecessary sounds should be avoided in nursing homes. Auditory selective attention is associated with response to donepezil in AD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, IDAC, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ouchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, IDAC, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meguro
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, IDAC, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akanuma
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, IDAC, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuriko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, IDAC, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077265:Donepezil; D005260:Female; D006309:Hearing / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D007189:Indans; D010880:Piperidines; D000077265:Donepezil