The relationship between donepezil and behavioral disturbances in patients with Alzheimer's disease

The authors tested the hypothesis that behavioral disturbances are reported at significantly lower rates by caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients receiving the antidementia drug donepezil, compared with a group of patients receiving no antidementia drug treatment. Patients administered donepezil for 6 months (n = 84) were compared with patients not on donepezil (n = 248). Patients taking donepezil had significantly lower levels of behavioral disturbances than patients not receiving this agent (P less than or equal to 0.01). Specifically, donepezil patients were described as significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) less likely to be threatening, destroy property, and talk loudly. Also significantly fewer patients receiving donepezil were treated with sedatives (P less than or equal to 0.05). These findings support the growing body of evidence that cholinesterase inhibitors have psychotropic properties and reduce behavior disturbances in patients with AD.