Posted by utopizen on February 1, 2004, at 17:34:06
As someone else on the ADHD newsgroup said, Executive Dysfunction is basically the reason why ADD'ers aren't exactly models for time management.
For all ADDers who have taken every stimulant out there and still struggle with time management, you're not alone. I'm terrible at it. But asking your doctor his opinion on adding Aricept might help.
But remember, it's mostly going to help you follow what your cognitive behavioral therapist has been trying to lead you to do, not magically walk you to the library like a robot, if it works for you.
Here's the summary:
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From:http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256C6100530185
DGDispatchAACAP: 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:utopizen
thread:308251
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040131/msgs/308251.html