The effect of donepezil hydrochloride on post-COVID memory impairment: A randomized controlled trial

Parham Pooladgar; Mehdi Sakhabakhsh; Saeed Soleiman-Meigooni; Arsia Taghva; Malihe Nasiri; Ilad Alavi Darazam

doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2023.09.005

The effect of donepezil hydrochloride on post-COVID memory impairment: A randomized controlled trial

J Clin Neurosci. 2023 Dec:118:168-174. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.09.005. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Authors

Parham Pooladgar¹, Mehdi Sakhabakhsh², Saeed Soleiman-Meigooni³, Arsia Taghva⁴, Malihe Nasiri⁵, Ilad Alavi Darazam⁶

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: parhampooladgar@sbmu.ac.ir.
² Head of Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: drsakha2013@gmail.com.
³ Infectious Diseases Research Center, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Cognitive Science and Behavioral Research Center, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Basic Science Department, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

PMID: 37952347
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.09.005

Abstract

Background: Post-Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) condition, known as "post-COVID syndrome," is associated with a range of complications persisting even after recovery. Among these complications, cognitive dysfunction, including memory impairment, has been relatively common observed, impacting executive function and quality of life. To date, no approved treatment exists for this specific complication. Therefore, the present clinical trial aimed to investigate the impact of Donepezil Hydrochloride on post-COVID memory impairment.

Methods: A randomized, controlled trial (Approval ID: IRCT20210816052203N1) was conducted, enrolling 25 patients with post-COVID memory impairment. Participants with a history of hospitalization were randomly assigned to either the drug group (n = 10) or the control group (n = 15). Memory indices were assessed at baseline, one month, and three months later using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised test. SPSS software and appropriate statistical tests were employed for data analysis.

Results: The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in WMS-R subtest and index scores between the drug and control groups at the 4-week and 12-week follow-up periods. However, within the drug group, there was a notable increase in the visual reproduction I and verbal paired associates II subtests during the specified time intervals.

Conclusion: While donepezil 5 mg did not exhibit a significant overall increase in memory scales compared to the control group over time, our findings suggest that this medication may exert a positive effect on specific memory subtests. Further research and exploration are warranted to better understand the potential benefits of donepezil in managing post-COVID-related memory impairment.

Trial registration: The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Aja University of Medical Sciences (Approval ID: IR.AJAUMS.REC.1400.125) and registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) (Approval ID: IRCT20210816052203N1).

Keywords: Cognitive impairment; Donepezil Hydrochloride; Long-COVID; Memory Deficit; Post-acuteCOVIDsyndrome.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / complications
Donepezil / therapeutic use
Executive Function
Humans
Iran
Memory Disorders / drug therapy
Memory Disorders / etiology
Quality of Life*

Substances

Donepezil