A 12-week open-label pilot study of donepezil for cognitive functioning and instrumental activities of daily living in late-life bipolar disorder

Objective To determine whether donepezil is effective in enhancing cognitive functioning and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in older adults with bipolar disorder. Methods Twelve elderly patients with bipolar I or II disorder, with evidence of mild cognitive decrements, were administered donepezil 5-10mg daily for 3 months. Participants had cognitive and functional evaluation pre-, on-, and 3-months post donepezil administration. Results Three subjects dropped out of the study. In the remaining nine subjects, no significant effects were observed in cognitive and functional measures. Seven of the nine participants asked to resume the medication after completion of the study because of the perceived beneficial effects. Conclusions In this small pilot study of older adults with bipolar disorder, acute treatment with donepezil was not associated with improvements in cognitive and IADL functioning. Given limitations of the study design, placebo effects could not be ruled out in the subjects who asked to resume donepezil. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.