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Regular Research Articles| Volume 26, ISSUE 10, P1050-1060, October 2018

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Donepezil Treatment in Patients With Depression and Cognitive Impairment on Stable Antidepressant Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

      Article Highlights

      • A long-term randomized trial of adjunctive donepezil for comorbid depression and cognitive impairment in 79 patients on stable antidepressant treatment.
      • No treatment group differences between donepezil and placebo on the cognitive outcome measures of ADAS-Cog, SRT total immediate recall, and FAQ.
      • Study results do not support the current common practice of adjunctive off-label cholinesterase inhibitor use in patients with comorbid depression and cognitive impairment.

      Objective

      Depression and cognitive impairment are often comorbid in older adults, but optimal treatment strategies remain unclear. In a two-site study, the efficacy and safety of add-on donepezil versus placebo were compared in depressed patients with cognitive impairment receiving stable antidepressant treatment.

      Methods

      A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in older adults with depression and cognitive impairment (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01658228; NCT01658228). Patients received open-label antidepressant treatment for 16 weeks, initially with citalopram and then with venlafaxine, if needed, followed by random assignment to add-on donepezil 5–10 mg daily or placebo for another 62 weeks. Outcome measures were neuropsychological test performance (Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive subscale [ADAS-Cog] and Selective Reminding Test [SRT] total immediate recall) and instrumental activities of daily living (Functional Activities Questionnaire).

      Results

      Of 81 patients who signed informed consent, 79 patients completed the baseline evaluation. Open antidepressant treatment was associated with improvement in depression in 63.93% responders by week 16. In the randomized trial, there were no treatment group differences between donepezil and placebo on dementia conversion rates, ADAS-Cog, SRT total immediate recall, or FAQ. Neither baseline cognitive impairment severity nor apolipoprotein E e4 genotype influenced donepezil efficacy. Donepezil was associated with more adverse effects than placebo.

      Conclusion

      The results do not support adjunctive off-label cholinesterase inhibitor treatment in patients with depression and cognitive impairment. The findings highlight the need to prioritize discovery of novel treatments for this highly prevalent population with comorbid illnesses.

      Key Words

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