Cholinesterase inhibitor therapy 'could be brain aid'

Cholinesterase inhibitor treatment with donepezil could aid brain function for some vascular subcortical subtypes in vascular dementia patients.

Researchers at the University of Munich, found that while patients did not show improvements in cognitive function, some vascular dementia patients did perform better in tests measuring executive function.

Published in the Lancet Neurology, the trial aimed to test the efficiency of cholinesterase inhibitors for the genetic form of subcortical ischaemic vascular dementia.

In a double-bind, randomised study, 86 patients aged an average of 55-years-old were treated with donepezil 5mg daily for six weeks, followed by 10 mg daily for the subsequent 12 weeks. 82 patients received placebo.

Cognitive ability was tested with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Trail Making Test (TMT) A and B times, the Vascular-Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive subscale (V-ADAS-cog), and the Executive Interview Test (Exit-25).

"The median time to complete the TMT B test was 105 seconds in the treated patients versus 166 seconds in the placebo [patients]," lead author Dr Martin Dichgans said.

Donepezil-treated patients at 18 weeks showed higher completion rates than placebo patients, at 78 per cent and 75 per cent respectively, when compared with baseline, researchers found.

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