Cholinergic Augmentation in Frequently Falling Subjects With Parkinson's Disease
Cholinergic Augmentation in Frequently Falling Subjects With Parkinson's Disease
The purpose of this study is to find out if a medication that increases levels of a brain
 chemical called acetylcholine will improve balance and reduce falls in patients with
 parkinson's disease who have the problem of very poor balance and are frequently falling or
 nearly falling on a daily basis. Donepezil, a drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's
 dementia, will reduce falls in subjects with Parkinson's disease and balance impairment.
This trial is a double-blinded cross-over design comparing donepezil with placebo in 40
 subjects with idiopathic Parkinson's disease who report frequent falls or near falls
 (>2/week). The purpose of this study is to find out if a medication that increases levels of
 a brain chemical called acetylcholine will improve balance and reduce falls in patients with
 parkinson's disease who have the problem of very poor balance and are frequently falling or
 nearly falling on a daily basis. Donepezil, a drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's
 dementia, will reduce falls in subjects with Parkinson's disease and balance impairment.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Age over 21

 -  Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

 -  Treated with dopaminergic medication for at least 1 year

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Must be ambulatory (can use walker or cane)

 -  No obvious remediable cause of falls

 -  Falls are on basis of non-CNS etiologies (cardiogenic, orthopedic, peripheral
 neuropathy, etc)

 -  Dementia present (MMSE < 25)

 -  Not taking cholinergic or anticholinergic medications 10 days prior to screening visit

 -  No Warfarin use