Effects of Cholinergic Drugs and Cognitive Training on Dementia

Vol. 18, No. 1, 2004

Free Abstract Article (References) Article (PDF 96 KB)

Original Research Article

Effects of Cholinergic Drugs and Cognitive Training on Dementia
C. Requena^a, M.I. López Ibor^b, F. Maestú^c, P. Campo^c, J.J. López Ibor^b, T. Ortiz^b

^aUniversidad de León (Área de Psicología), León,
^bDepartamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, and
^cCentro de Magnetoencefalografía, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Address of Corresponding Author

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2004;18:50-54 (DOI: 10.1159/000077735)

Key Words

Alzheimer’s disease
Cognitive therapy
Donepezil

Abstract

A study was performed on patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in order to evaluate the efficacy of a combined treatment (donepezil plus cognitive training) in both cognitive processes and affective states. Eighty-six subjects, 25 men and 61 women, with an average age of 75.58 years, were studied. Almost all the subjects had a basic educational level. Donezepil was administered at a dose of 10 mg daily along with cognitive treatment involving images of everyday life and reminiscent music; the sessions took place on Monday to Friday and lasted three quarters of an hour. The study lasted 12 months. Subjects underwent test-retest with the following tests: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog); the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the overall deterioration scale (FAST). The results showed that subjects receiving the combined treatment had a better response than those who did not receive any cognitive training. These subjects’ MMSE score decreased by 3.24 on average. The affective symptomatology of those receiving only drug treatment improved whereas the cognitive processes did not.

Author Contacts

Tomás Ortiz, PhD, MD
Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
ES–28040 Madrid (Spain)
Tel. +34 91 394 22 92, Fax +34 91 394 22 94, E-Mail cmeg@rect.ucm.es

Article Information

Accepted: September 28, 2003
Published online: April 6, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 39

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