Posted by Tom Twilight on September 3, 2005, at 8:28:43
In reply to Executive functioning.....For Meri-Tuuli and Nick!, posted by Tom Twilight on September 3, 2005, at 8:23:08
I don't know if you've tried an Cholinesterase inhibitor (I haven't).
To me it seems like their worth a try for Exectutive Function.
If they start to make you feel depressed stop straight away!Heres a studyAACAP: Donepezil (Aricept) May Improve Executive Functioning in ADHD
By Paula Moyer
Special to DG NewsSAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 28 -- The cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil (Aricept), a first-line treatment for certain types of dementia, may also have a role in the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In a study presented here October 26 at the 49th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. James Waxmonsky, a research fellow in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, reported on an initial trial of donepezil in children and adolescents with ADHD.
According to Dr. Waxmonsky, problems with executive function -- such as organisation, time management, and hierarchical thinking -- are seen in approximately 25 to 50 percent of children with ADHD. "After stimulant therapy is begun, we see a lot of children who have a response to treatment but continue to have problems with executive function."
Donepezil has been shown promise in this area among patients with Alzheimer's disease, and earlier research showed clinically significant improvement in ADHD symptoms after donepezil therapy, with the largest gains made in area of executive function.
Dr. Waxmonsky’s team enrolled seven children, age 6 to 17 years, in a 12-week, open-label, clinical trial of donepezil in combination with existing stimulant treatment. The subjects all had ADHD and executive function deficits. The researchers assessed executive function, adverse events, classic ADHD symptoms, and overall functioning.
The starting dose of donepezil was 2.5 mg daily, with a maximum daily dose of 10 mg. The stimulant dose was fixed at the subject's pre-trial dose.
Results show a 25 percent improvement in attention and a 25 percent improvement in executive function tasks. There were no serious adverse effects. In ongoing research, the researchers plan to study the effects of donepezil in a larger patient base.
"This is the first study to specifically evaluate a pharmacological treatment for executive function deficits in ADHD," he said. "It is also one of the first prospective studies of donepezil’s tolerability and efficacy in ADHD children." The results are encouraging and warrant further study, he said.
poster:Tom Twilight
thread:549779
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050901/msgs/550278.html