Combination of intensive cognitive rehabilitation and donepezil therapy in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

6533b85bfe1ef96bd12bb550

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Combination of intensive cognitive rehabilitation and donepezil therapy in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Ligia J. Dominguez Mario Belvedere Mario Barbagallo Marcello Giordano Anna Di Prima Teresa Vitrano Ferlisi A Massimiliano Curatolo

subject

Male Aging medicine.medical_specialty Health (social science)Disease chemistry.chemical_compound Piperidines Alzheimer Disease mental disorders medicine Dementia Humans Donepezil Cognitive rehabilitation therapy Donepezil Aged Aged 80 and over Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Analysis of Variance Chi-Square Distribution Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognition medicine.disease Acetylcholinesterase Active participation Treatment Outcome chemistry Indans Physical therapy Female Cholinesterase Inhibitors Geriatrics and Gerontology Training program Psychology Gerontology medicine.drug

description

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AchEIs) are extensively used in Alzheimer's disease (AD) while reality orientation therapy (ROT) is a cognitive rehabilitation indicated for mentally deteriorated patients. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of donepezil with an intensive ROT with active participation of the caregiver. Patients with AD (n=100, mean age 78.4±4.3 years) initiated treatment with donepezil, 5mg/day; 62 of them underwent a 3-week, daily ROT and physical reactivation training with the caregiver (Group A); 38 participants received only donepezil therapy (Group B). All subjects were tested for cognitive and functional abilities at baseline, at the end of the training program, and after 2 months of follow-up. There was a significant improvement in mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score (p0.001) and the AD assessment scale-cognitive (ADAS-Cog) subscale (p0.001), without changes in impaired activity of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) after intensive ROT training in Group A. MMSE was maintained after 2 months in-home ROT continuation. There were no significant changes in MMSE in drug-only treated patients (Group B) after 3 weeks, with a non-significant tendency to improvement in ADAS-Cog. Our results suggest benefit of an intensive ROT program in dementia patients receiving donepezil that seems to be maintained as far as ROT is continued by the caregiver.

year	journal	country	edition	language
2009-06-09	Archives of gerontology and geriatrics

10.1016/j.archger.2009.11.008 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19969381