Adjunctive donepezil in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder youth: case series

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often persists into adolescence, with many youths experiencing residual symptoms impacting daily functioning.
• Current ADHD pharmacotherapies offer benefits, yet a subset of patients do not achieve full symptom remission.
• Emerging research suggests cholinergic agents may possess cognitive-enhancing properties relevant to ADHD pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential efficacy of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in pediatric patients.
• To report on clinical observations of ADHD symptom improvement in youths treated with donepezil.

Main Methods:

• A case series describing five adolescents diagnosed with ADHD, aged 8–17 years.
• Patients were treated with donepezil (Aricept) for their ADHD symptoms.
• Clinical outcomes and symptom changes were observed and documented.

Main Results:

• All five pediatric patients with ADHD who received donepezil treatment demonstrated notable improvements in their symptoms.
• Observed improvements suggest a positive response to acetylcholinesterase inhibitor therapy in this cohort.
• The findings indicate a potential benefit of donepezil in managing residual ADHD symptomatology.

Conclusions:

• Donepezil may represent a viable therapeutic option for select youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experiencing persistent symptoms.
• Further research, including controlled trials, is warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of donepezil for pediatric ADHD.
• Cholinergic system modulation could be a promising avenue for future ADHD treatment development.