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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Kindling Mouse Model

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Published on: June 12, 2018

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

Michael L Wolff¹

¹Albany Medical College, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Alden March Bioethics Institute, New York, USA. mwolff@communitycare.com

The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy

|March 27, 2012

Summary

Donepezil, used for Alzheimer's Disease, may trigger repressed memories at higher doses. Reducing the dose resolved these adverse drug events, suggesting acetylcholinesterase inhibition as the cause.

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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.