Case report: Post-traumatic memories triggered by donepezil in a dose-dependent pattern.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Geriatrics

Background:

• Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
• Donepezil is a commonly prescribed acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for AD symptom management.
• Adverse drug events (ADEs) require careful monitoring in elderly patients.

Observation:

• An 87-year-old patient with probable AD experienced vivid, intrusive memories of a kamikaze attack.
• These memory recurrences coincided with a nightly 10-mg dose of donepezil.
• The patient had no such experiences at a 5-mg dose of donepezil.

Findings:

• Symptom resolution occurred upon reducing the donepezil dosage.
• The findings suggest a dose-dependent relationship between donepezil and memory recall.
• Acetylcholinesterase inhibition is implicated as the mechanism triggering the release of repressed memories.

Implications:

• This case highlights a potential novel adverse drug event associated with donepezil.
• Clinicians should consider memory-related side effects when prescribing acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
• Further research may explore the neurobiological underpinnings of drug-induced memory retrieval in AD patients.