Association Between the Cholinesterase Inhibitor Donepezil and the Cholinergic Precursor Choline Alphoscerate in the Treatment of Depression in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are common in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and are associated with an increased functional decline. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants showed a limited efficacy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate if a higher brain cholinergic stimulation induced by the association between the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate has any effect on depression in AD patients. METHODS: Patients were selected among those recruited in the ASCOMALVA (association between the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate in AD) trial. Depressive symptoms were investigated in 90 AD patients through the neuropsychiatric inventory at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months of treatment. Patients were randomized in a group association therapy (45 subjects) receiving donepezil 10 mg plus choline alphoscerate 1,200 mg/day, and a group monotherapy (45 subjects) receiving donepezil 10 mg/day plus placebo. Based on the results of the MMSE at the recruitment patients were divided into 3 groups: severely impaired (score < 15); moderately impaired (score 19-16); mild-moderately impaired (score 24-20). RESULTS: Depression symptoms were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in patients treated with donepezil plus choline alphoscerate compared to patients treated with donepezil alone. Subjects of the group having mild to moderate cognitive impairment were those more sensitive to the association treatment. CONCLUSION: Depression symptoms of AD patients in the mild to moderate stage probably could to benefit of a stronger cholinergic stimulation induced by associating donepezil with the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate.