Study of neuroprotection of donepezil, a therapy for Alzheimer's disease

These results demonstrate that donepezil has protective effects against ischemic damage, glutamate excitotoxicity and Aβ toxicity to rat primary cultured neurons and these effects are not dependent on acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antagonism of NMDA receptors. Thus, donepezil is expected to have a protective effect against progressive degeneration of brain neuronal cells in ischemic cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease.