NCT01250977

Effect of Donepezil on Smoking

The Effect of Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors on Smoking Behavior

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (actual)
• Sponsor: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The objective of this proof-of-concept pilot study is to evaluate Donepezil HCL (Aricept) for side effects and effects on smoking behavior and performance on neurocognitive tasks in a population of dependent smokers.

Detailed description

Nicotine dependence is a major public health problem and currently available treatments are ineffective for the majority of smokers. Thus, there is a need to develop and test novel medications to assist smokers to quit smoking. This pilot feasibility study examined: (1) tolerability and medication adherence, and (2) the effects of donepezil versus placebo on smoking behavior and cognitive performance in non-treatment seeking smokers. We predicted that 4 weeks of donepezil would improve working memory at the highest task difficulty level and sustained attention. Because participants in this study were not trying to quit, change in smoking behavior was a secondary outcome.

Conditions

• Smoking

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Donepezil
DRUG	Placebo

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-01-11
• Primary completion: 2011-12-06
• Completion: 2011-12-06
• First posted: 2010-12-01
• Last updated: 2019-07-11
• Results posted: 2019-07-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States