This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common non-traumatic neurological illness of young adults. One-half of all patients with MS experience some degree of cognitive impairment. Whereas the majority of existing pharmaceutical research is focused on medications designed to modify the progression of MS, relatively few studies have evaluated symptomatic treatments for cognitive impairment. As a result, there are no FDA-approved drugs designed specifically to treat symptoms of MS-related cognitive impairment. Donepezil HCI (Aricept ) is an FDA-approved drug now used to enhance memory in patients with AD.
The aim of this project is to examine the effects of Donepezil HCI (Aricept ) on memory induced brain activation patterns in the context of a double-blind, crossover trial of 16 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). To achieve this goal, we will perform task activation experiments involving two cognitive domains: (1) working memory, and (2) verbal recognition memory. The proposed work on MS patients should yield important new information regarding functional anatomic relationships during cognitive activity, and how these relationships change as a function of drug treatment. These studies will also provide essential information needed to achieve our long-term objective: to develop an understanding of how Donepezil HCI (Aricept ) improves memory performance, and the underlying neural mechanisms that are the targets for normalized patterns of brain activ
Showing the most recent 10 out of 380 publications
