Donepezil News and Research

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Donepezil is a drug that is used to treat Alzheimer disease and is being studied in the treatment of side effects caused by radiation therapy to the brain. It is a type of cholinesterase inhibitor.

Gut microbiome shifts may begin before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear

A narrative review links reduced SCFA-producing gut bacteria and altered microbial metabolism with Alzheimer’s disease, while early evidence suggests similar changes may appear before cognitive symptoms. Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, and prudent diets are associated with beneficial microbial profiles, but direct evidence connecting diet, the microbiome, and amyloid pathology remains limited.

3 Aug 2026

Low-dose lithium may protect brain networks in early Alzheimer’s disease

This perspective examines whether restoring physiological lithium levels could help protect cognition in early Alzheimer’s disease. It proposes that lithium may support cholinergic signaling and brain connectivity, but emphasizes that rigorous, safety-monitored clinical trials are needed.

21 Jul 2026

What medicine-exposed rats reveal about the next urban zoonotic threat

Researchers found that more than half of urban rats sampled from low-income communities in Salvador, Brazil, carried active pharmaceutical ingredients in their brain tissue. These pollutants were associated with altered zoonotic infection patterns, including lower Leptospira infection probability in rats carrying azithromycin and higher Capillaria infection probability in rats carrying citalopram.

22 May 2026

Brain complexity declines in Alzheimer's disease

As individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) move from the mild cognitive impairment stage to moderate and severe dementia, complex awareness deteriorates although lower-level sensory awareness is relatively maintained.

22 Jan 2026

Alzheimer’s drugs improve key cognitive skills in children with autism and low IQ

The review synthesizes evidence on whether Alzheimer’s disease medications can improve neurocognitive outcomes in children and adolescents with autism and low IQ. Across 12 studies, preliminary findings show promising gains in language, executive function, learning and memory, and general cognitive ability, particularly in younger children.

18 Nov 2025

Can saffron treat Alzheimer’s and depression?

Saffron shows promise as a natural treatment for depression and cognitive decline, performing as well as standard drugs in clinical trials. However, more rigorous studies are needed before saffron can be recommended in mainstream psychiatric and dementia care.

26 Jun 2025

Traditional South Asian medicinal plants show promise in addressing memory disorders

The growing global population of elderly individuals has led to a dramatic rise in chronic diseases, including neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.

27 May 2025

Semaglutide may reduce Alzheimer's risk in diabetics

Researchers use real-world data in the United States to evaluate the protective role of semaglutide against Alzherimer’s disease.

25 Oct 2024

AI models boost detection of cognitive decline in medical records, study finds

This study assesses large language models for early detection of cognitive decline, highlighting their strengths and limitations compared to conventional AI.

16 Oct 2024

Semaglutide enhances cognitive abilities and reduces Alzheimer’s pathology in mice and human brain models

Researchers find that Semaglutide improves cognitive function and reduces amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease models, while restoring oxytocin levels in both mice and human brain organoids.

14 Oct 2024

Matcha green tea enhances cognition and sleep in older adults

Regular matcha green tea consumption may improve emotional perception and sleep quality in older adults with cognitive decline, though it shows no significant effect on broader cognitive functions.

2 Sep 2024

FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug induces torpor-like state in tadpoles

27 Aug 2024

FDA-approved drug could revolutionize organ transplantation

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University report that they were able to successfully put tadpoles of Xenopus laevis frogs into a hibernation-like torpor state using donepezil (DNP), a drug approved by the FDA to treat Alzheimer's. The team had previously used another drug, SNC80, to achieve similar results in tadpoles and enhance the survival of whole mammalian hearts for transplants, but SNC80 is not approved for clinical use in humans because it can cause seizures. By contrast, DNP is already being used in the clinic, meaning it potentially could be rapidly repurposed for use in emergency situations to prevent irreversible organ injury while a person is being transported to a hospital.

23 Aug 2024

Pharmacist cautions against self-medicating with ozempic for dementia risk reduction

A scientific statement from the American Heart and Stroke Association on the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of poststroke cognitive impairment

Researchers reviewed the incidence, prevalence, diagnosis, and management of post-stroke cognitive impairment.

3 May 2023

Donepezil News and Research

Gut microbiome shifts may begin before Alzheimer’s symptoms appear

Low-dose lithium may protect brain networks in early Alzheimer’s disease

What medicine-exposed rats reveal about the next urban zoonotic threat

Brain complexity declines in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer’s drugs improve key cognitive skills in children with autism and low IQ

Can saffron treat Alzheimer’s and depression?

Traditional South Asian medicinal plants show promise in addressing memory disorders

Semaglutide may reduce Alzheimer's risk in diabetics

AI models boost detection of cognitive decline in medical records, study finds

Semaglutide enhances cognitive abilities and reduces Alzheimer’s pathology in mice and human brain models

Matcha green tea enhances cognition and sleep in older adults

FDA-approved Alzheimer's drug induces torpor-like state in tadpoles

FDA-approved drug could revolutionize organ transplantation

Pharmacist cautions against self-medicating with ozempic for dementia risk reduction

Combining donepezil and memantine extends lives of Alzheimer's patients, study finds

Donepezil fails to enhance cognitive abilities in breast cancer survivors: Phase III trial results

Vanderbilt launches $13 million trial to test repurposed drugs for Rett syndrome

Pharmacogenomics holds promise for personalized dementia therapies

Researchers discover new spiroindolin-1,2-diazepine derivatives with anti-Alzheimer therapeutic potential

A scientific statement from the American Heart and Stroke Association on the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of poststroke cognitive impairment

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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