The effect of donezepil on thyroid function in patients with Alzheimer's disease: implications...

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Annals of General Psychiatry

Open AccessPoster presentationThe effect of donezepil on thyroid function in patients with Alzheimer's disease: implications on responseGeorge Paraskevas*1, Elisabeth Kapaki1, Emily Mantzou2, Apostolos Papapostolou1, Maria Alevizaki2 and Demetris Vassilopoulos1

Address: 1Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, Greece and 2Department of Medical Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Athens National University, Evgenideion Hosp, Greece

* Corresponding author

BackgroundA relationship between thyroid status and Alzheimer's dis-ease (AD) has long been considered. Increasing evidencealso supports an extensive inter- relationship between thy-roid hormones and the cholinergic system which is selec-tively and early affected in AD. Cholinesterase inhibitors(ChEIs) are the current treatment (Rx) of choice for thesepatients. The aim of the present study was to explore thepossibility of an interplay between the acetyl cholineste-rase inhibitor (AChEI) donezepil and thyroid function inpatients with AD.

Materials and methodsThyroid function tests (TFTs) were evaluated in 28patients (9 men and 19 women; mean age 74 ± 7.2 SDyears), suffering from AD before and after four months ondonepezil treatment. Serum thyrotropin (TSH), trio-dothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and the free fractions(fT4 and fT3) as whell as thyroid autoantibodies (anti-TPO, anti-Tg) were determined using standard methods.

ResultsSignificant reductions in T4, fT3, fT4 and anti TPO levelswere observed post-treatment, with a corresponding slightincrease of TSH. For of T4 and fT4 the reduction was exclu-sively derived from the responders to the donezepil treat-ment as compared to non-responders. Responders ingeneral presented with higher serum concentration of T4and fT4 (all within the normal range of variation). Serumlevels in nonresponders remained unchanged.

DiscussionRelatively higher serum concentration of T4 and fT4 fol-lowed by a post treatment decrease, may predict a favora-ble response to donezepil treatment. As thyroidhormones have been used to augment antidepressanteffectiveness in refractory depression, the question arisesas to weather small doses of T4 or T3 would have a possi-ble beneficial effect in AD as well.

from International Society on Brain and Behaviour: 2nd International Congress on Brain and BehaviourThessaloniki, Greece. 17–20 November 2005

Published: 28 February 2006

Annals of General Psychiatry 2006, 5(Suppl 1):S91 doi:10.1186/1744-859X-5-S1-S91<supplement> <title> <p>International Society on Brain and Behaviour: 2nd International Congress on Brain and Behaviour</p> </title> <note>Meeting abstracts – A single PDF containing all abstracts in this Supplement is available <a href="http://www.biomedcen-tral.com/content/files/pdf/1744-859X-5-S1-full.pdf">here</a>.</note> </supplement>