Impact of Donepezil and Memantine on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Alzheimer Disease: Six-month Open-label Study

Background: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common in individuals with Alzheimer disease (AD). Donepezil and memantine are both widely used for the treatment of moderate AD. Objective: To evaluate the effects of donepezil and memantine in relieving BPSD in individuals with moderate AD. Method: We conducted a prospective, randomized, 6-month clinical trial involving 85 individuals with moderate AD divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 42) was treated with donepezil; group 2 (n = 43) was treated with memantine. We used the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to assess the prevalence and severity of BPSD at baseline and after 6 months of treatment with donepezil or memantine. Results: The two groups’ baseline characteristics, including age, sex, mean length of education, and disease duration, were comparable, as were their baseline Mini-Mental State Examination scores. The NPI Total score improved from baseline to month 6 in both groups ( P < 0.0001). Analyses of the NPI subdomains revealed that both donepezil treatment and memantine treatment produced statistically significant improvement in all of the NPI domains except euphoria and apathy, for which no improvement was observed after memantine treatment. Both treatments were well tolerated, with mostly mild and transient adverse effects. Conclusion: Specific drugs for AD, including donepezil and memantine, may be effective in treating BPSD in individuals with moderate AD, with a favorable safety profile.