Can donepezil (Aricept) really improve patients' memory and concentration?

Donepezil is a selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitor mainly used for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). Its mechanism of action is to inhibit the activity of acetylcholinesterase, delay the degradation of acetylcholine in the synaptic gap, thereby increasing the effective concentration of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine plays a key role in memory formation, learning and attention regulation, so donepezil could theoretically improve patients' cognitive functions, including memory and concentration.

Clinical studies have shown that donepezil has certain efficacy in improving cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Some patients may observe stable or mild improvements in memory and attention scores on cognitive assessment scales such as ADAS-Cog or MMSE after taking the drug for weeks to months. This improvement typically manifests itself in the retention of short-term memory in daily life, increased concentration on simple tasks, and slight improvement in communication skills.

It should be noted that donepezil is not a cure drug, and its improvement effect is usually temporary and limited. As the disease progresses and neuronal damage continues to aggravate, the efficacy of the drug may gradually weaken. Therefore, donepezil is more suitable as an adjuvant treatment in the early or mild to moderate stages to delay cognitive decline and maintain daily living abilities. Differences in efficacy vary depending on individual differences, disease stage, and medication compliance, and some patients may not experience significant improvement.

Generally speaking, donepezil can improve or stabilize the memory and concentration of patients with Alzheimer's disease to a certain extent, especially in the early stages. However, its effect is more on symptom relief and function maintenance, and it cannot reverse or cure the disease. During use, patients should be guided by doctors, take medication regularly, monitor efficacy and side effects, and cooperate with comprehensive management such as cognitive training and lifestyle intervention to maximize cognitive function and quality of life.

Reference link:https://www.drugs.com