Michael L Wolff1. 1. Albany Medical College, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Alden March Bioethics Institute, New York, USA. mwolff@communitycare.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This case report describes a new adverse drug event due to use of donepezil in a patient with probable Alzheimer's Disease. CASE SUMMARY: While receiving a 10-mg dose of donepezil nightly, an 87-year old veteran of World War II experienced irrepressible memories of a kamikaze strike. This symptom did not occur at a 5-mg dose of donepezil and resolved with downward titration of this agent. CONCLUSIONS: This sequence of dosage and symptoms suggests acetylcholinesterase inhibition was the trigger for release of these memories, which are otherwise mostly chronically repressed in this individual.
BACKGROUND: This case report describes a new adverse drug event due to use of donepezil in a patient with probable Alzheimer's Disease. CASE SUMMARY: While receiving a 10-mg dose of donepezil nightly, an 87-year old veteran of World War II experienced irrepressible memories of a kamikaze strike. This symptom did not occur at a 5-mg dose of donepezil and resolved with downward titration of this agent. CONCLUSIONS: This sequence of dosage and symptoms suggests acetylcholinesterase inhibition was the trigger for release of these memories, which are otherwise mostly chronically repressed in this individual.