Donepezil and Brain Activity Patterns in Those at Risk For Alzheimer's Disease

Summary

The purpose of the study is to examine patterns of brain activity in people who are at risk for memory problems (e.g., Alzheimer's disease or dementia)before and after the medication donepezil. Although genetic testing will be done, the results will not be shared with study participants. Once the genetic testing is completed subjects may continue to the second phase of the study. During this time they will be asked to take the medication donepezil (which is approved by the FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease). Donepezil is not FDA approved for healthy volunteers and is therefore considered investigational in this study.

Timeline

Start

2006-12

Primary completion

2012-08-24

Completion

2012-08-24

Publications

• Background Bookheimer SY, Strojwas MH, Cohen MS, Saunders AM, Pericak-Vance MA, Mazziotta JC, Small GW. Patterns of brain activation in people at risk for Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 2000 Aug 17;343(7):450-6. doi: 10.1056/NEJM200008173430701.
• Background Morris JC. Is Alzheimer's disease inevitable with age?: Lessons from clinicopathologic studies of healthy aging and very mild alzheimer's disease. J Clin Invest. 1999 Nov;104(9):1171-3. doi: 10.1172/JCI8560. No abstract available.
• Background Small GW, Mazziotta JC, Collins MT, Baxter LR, Phelps ME, Mandelkern MA, Kaplan A, La Rue A, Adamson CF, Chang L, et al. Apolipoprotein E type 4 allele and cerebral glucose metabolism in relatives at risk for familial Alzheimer disease. JAMA. 1995 Mar 22-29;273(12):942-7.
• Background Reiman EM, Caselli RJ, Yun LS, Chen K, Bandy D, Minoshima S, Thibodeau SN, Osborne D. Preclinical evidence of Alzheimer's disease in persons homozygous for the epsilon 4 allele for apolipoprotein E. N Engl J Med. 1996 Mar 21;334(12):752-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199603213341202.
• Background Small GW, Ercoli LM, Silverman DH, Huang SC, Komo S, Bookheimer SY, Lavretsky H, Miller K, Siddarth P, Rasgon NL, Mazziotta JC, Saxena S, Wu HM, Mega MS, Cummings JL, Saunders AM, Pericak-Vance MA, Roses AD, Barrio JR, Phelps ME. Cerebral metabolic and cognitive decline in persons at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 May 23;97(11):6037-42. doi: 10.1073/pnas.090106797.
• Background Burggren AC, Small GW, Sabb FW, Bookheimer SY. Specificity of brain activation patterns in people at genetic risk for Alzheimer disease. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002 Jan-Feb;10(1):44-51.
• Background Smith CD, Andersen AH, Kryscio RJ, Schmitt FA, Kindy MS, Blonder LX, Avison MJ. Women at risk for AD show increased parietal activation during a fluency task. Neurology. 2002 Apr 23;58(8):1197-202. doi: 10.1212/wnl.58.8.1197.
• Background Padovani A, Pastorino L, Borroni B, Colciaghi F, Rozzini L, Monastero R, Perez J, Pettenati C, Mussi M, Parrinello G, Cottini E, Lenzi GL, Trabucchi M, Cattabeni F, Di Luca M. Amyloid precursor protein in platelets: a peripheral marker for the diagnosis of sporadic AD. Neurology. 2001 Dec 26;57(12):2243-8. doi: 10.1212/wnl.57.12.2243.
• Background Borroni B, Colciaghi F, Pastorino L, Pettenati C, Cottini E, Rozzini L, Monastero R, Lenzi GL, Cattabeni F, Di Luca M, Padovani A. Amyloid precursor protein in platelets of patients with Alzheimer disease: effect of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor treatment. Arch Neurol. 2001 Mar;58(3):442-6. doi: 10.1001/archneur.58.3.442.

Drugs

Indications