A drug widely used for treating
dementia in Alzheimer’s patients has been shown to improve memory and cognition in
multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are mild to moderately cognitively impaired. Study details and results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.
Most MS patients and their doctors focus primarily on managing the physical manifestations that characterize the disease, yet an estimated 50 percent of the patients will also face varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment can include difficulties with problem-solving, attention, learning and memory, and can lead to loss of jobs, social withdrawal, and changes in mood. Only 10 percent of all MS patients will experience severe cognitive impairment, but even mild impairment can interfere significantly in a patient’s life.
Researchers from State University of New York, Stony Brook, have demonstrated that donepezil, a drug that has been successful in treating symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer’s patients, may also show promise in treating cognitively impaired MS patients.
Sixty-nine MS patients from Stony Brook University Medical Center participated in a 24-week double blind clinical trial. Eligibility criteria included at least mild impairment on a verbal learning and memory task, and an absence of severe depressive symptoms. Some were given donepezil 10 mg daily, and some were given placebo.