A drug used to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease may slow down development of the less severe forms of cognitive impairment that sometimes lead to the more devastating brain condition.Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who took donepezil (brand name Aricept) had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s compared to people taking a placebo, according to research presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders being held in Philadelphia from July 17 to 22.The reduction in risk lasted only for the first 18 months of the three-year trial, however. When those taking donepezil did develop Alzheimer’s, it was an average of six months later than those in the placebo group.MCI can be a sort of border region between the normal cognitive changes of aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Not everyone with MCI goes on to have Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
