Treatment of Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia with Donepezil: a Double Blind Placebo Controlled Clinical Study
Abstract
Cognitive deficit is common and related to functional outcome in patients with schizophrenia. The possible role of adjunctive pharmacology for cognitive deficit is receiving consideration.
There is a bulk of evidence suggesting an important role of cholinergic system in schizophrenia. The aim of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of augmentation of risperidone by inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase donepezil in the treatment of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
Thirty patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder on individual stable dose of risperidone were randomly assigned to double blind treatment with donepezil or placebo. They were administered the neuropsychological battery at baseline and again following 12 weeks and 16 weeks of experimental treatment.
Donepezil did not produce significant improvements in any cognitive parameter compared with placebo. Our results are consistent with the other placebo controlled studies of Friedman et al. 2002 and Tugul and Yazici 2003.