Aricept Slows Brain Shrinkage in Alzheimer’s

July 22, 2006

Aricept (donepezil) has been shown to reduce the rate of brain-shrinkage characteristic in people with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid, Spain, and reported by Reuters on July 18. Aricept has previously been shown to improve thinking and memory.

Structural changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease lead to brain-shrinkage. Essentially, proteins (referred to as plaques) and tangles of nerve-fibers collect in the brain as it grows smaller, and in extreme cases the brain’s weight may decrease by half.

"No drug has been shown to slow brain atrophy for patients with mild cognitive impairment," said Dr Clifford Jack of the Mayo Clinic, according to Reuters.

"Our study results seem to imply that donepezil does more than provide symptom relief – it [also] has an effect on a measure of brain health. Our findings also show that MRI measures can have usefulness in future studies of mild cognitive impairment [which may lead to Alzheimer’s disease]."

Approximately 12 million people around the world have Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers predict the number could rise to 81 million by the year 2040, according to Reuters.

No cure is known for Alzheimer’s disease. Initial symptoms may manifest as mild memory loss, but can progress at a variable rate to severe memory loss and a complete inability to care for oneself.

Clinical Trial

The study by Dr Jack and colleagues consisted of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brains of 131 people with mild cognitive impairment. Results showed that, compared with participants receiving placebo, participants receiving Aricept had less shrinkage in the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory.

The researchers found that these effects of Aricept occurred only in participants with the apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene. For reasons unknown, the APOE4 gene variant is associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

"One possibility is that APOE4 carriers were more likely to have definite Alzheimer’s disease than non-carriers in the study who appear to have symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease, yet turn out to have a different diagnosis when an autopsy is performed after death," Dr Jack reportedly said.

Research continues into ways to prevent the onset and development of Alzheimer’s, and to slow the disease’s progression. Diagnosis remains challenging, and scanning methods such as MRI or positron emission tomography (PET) are also being investigated.

Aricept (donepezil) is marketed by Pfizer and Eisai Co Ltd (Japan).

For more information on Alzheimer’s Disease, visit:

• Alzheimer’s Association
• National Institute on Aging – Alzheimer’s Disease Medications Fact Sheet

Source:
Alzheimer’s drug slows brain shrinkage – study, Reuters, July 18, 2006.

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