Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system for which
donepezil is usually prescribed. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of
donepezil on the cognitive functions and expression levels of β-
amyloid (Aβ) in the peripheral blood of patients with
Alzheimer's disease. In total, 76 patients with
cognitive impairment, who visited the Department of Neurology of Binzhou City Center Hospital from June 2015 to September 2016, had memory decline for more than three consecutive months and underwent mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score screening, were selected for the study. All 76 patients were divided into the experimental (n=38) and control (n=38) groups by random number table. Patients in the control group were treated using conventional drugs combined with
Nimotop, and patients in the experimental group received conventional
drug therapy combined with
donepezil, and the treatment outcomes in the two groups were compared. The MMSE scores and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scores
after treatment in the two groups were significantly increased compared with those before treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The
activities of daily living scale (
ADL) was decreased significantly (P<0.05). By comparing with the control group, the MMSE and MoCA scores in the experimental group were higher (P<0.05) while the
ADL score was lower (P<0.05), and the adverse reaction rate during the treatment was lower (P<0.05). The Aβ levels in serum after medical treatment were obviously decreased in the two groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The serum Aβ level in the experimental group
after treatment was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05).
Drug therapy combined with
donepezil has a certain degree of influence on the MMSE,
ADL and MoCA scores of patients with
Alzheimer's disease, which can decrease the Aβ level in peripheral blood and improve the cognitive functions of patients, thus having important clinical significance.