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Published on: February 11, 2019
Donepezil abolishes anticholinergic activity in a patient with amnesia
Kimiko Konishi1, Koji Hori, Hiroi Tomioka
1Department of Psychiatry, Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Abstract:
We report the case of a 74-year-old woman who presented with amnesia and positive serum anticholinergic activity (SAA), which disappeared after treatment with the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil for 1 year. Her only other regular medications were topical glaucoma preparations. We suggest that mental stress, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease pathology combined to generate SAA in this patient. We also consider that SAA may have subsequently become negative because of upregulation of acetylcholine production by donepezil, and because the patient's other medications and physical condition (including glaucoma) remained unchanged during the 1-year period.
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