Evaluation of the effect of donepezil on cerebral blood flow velocity in Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the effect of Donepezil on cerebral blood flow velocity using non-invasive transcranial Doppler [TCD] sonography. This clinical trial was carried out in the Department of Neurology, Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran from March 2008 to July 2009, on Alzheimer's disease [AD] patients in 2 groups of case and control, each consisting of 11 patients. The case group who received Donepezil medication was examined by TCD before [baseline], after 4 weeks of oral treatment with 5mg per day Donepezil, and a further 4 weeks of 10mg per day Donepezil, orally. The control group comprised AD patients who did not receive any medications, and were examined by TCD only once. Peak systolic [PSV], end-diastolic [EDV], and mean flow [MFV] velocities of the posterior cerebral artery [PCA] and the middle cerebral artery [MCA] was assessed by TCD. Also, mini-mental state examination [MMSE] was carried out. There were no significant differences between the case and control groups, in terms of age and gender. In the case group, the mean MMSE score reached 20.2 +/- 2.8 from a baseline value of 15.8 +/- 3.3 after 4 weeks of oral treatment with 5mg/d Donepezil, and reached 20.6 +/- 3.9 after 4 more weeks at 10mg/d Donepezil. In the MCA, the difference in PSV and MFV values after 4 weeks of treatment with 10mg/d Donepezil was statistically significant compared with the baseline values. In PCA, the values of MFV and EDV after 4 weeks of treatment with 10mg/d Donepezil were statistically significant in comparison with the baseline value. Donepezil [10mg/d] increased cerebral blood flow velocity and MMSE score in our AD patients, but more extensive trials are recommended