- 647studies in the library match, of 29,380
- 316name it in the title
- 1986–2026years published
- 625peer-reviewed articles
The query: title or abstract mentions "donepezil"/"Aricept", "memantine"/"Namenda", "rivastigmine"/"Exelon", "galantamine" or "(acetyl)cholinesterase inhibitor", matched case-insensitively against each record's title and abstract (its summary field) in alzhub's library of 29,380 study records, as of 2026-11-08. Every count on this page comes from that match. The matched list as JSON.
The cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) slow the breakdown of acetylcholine, a messenger chemical that is depleted in Alzheimer's. Memantine acts on a different messenger system, glutamate, and is used in the moderate to severe stages, sometimes with a cholinesterase inhibitor. None of them changes the underlying disease.
Studies measure modest effects on cognition and daily function over months, and report side effects such as nausea, slow heart rate and falls for the cholinesterase inhibitors. Papers on stopping these drugs (deprescribing) are also in the set.
This page describes what published research in alzhub's library reports. It is not medical advice and does not apply to any one person: a doctor who knows the person's history is the only one who can say what a result or a treatment means for them.
What the studies report, in their own words
Whole sentences copied from the abstract or key findings of the highest-scoring matched studies, chosen because they mention the subject and give a figure. 8 of the 647 matched records are quoted; each links to its study page and from there to the paper.
“The results show some improvement in global clinical state (assessed by a clinician) in people treated with 5 and 10 mg/day of donepezil compared with placebo at 24 weeks for the number of patients showing improvement or no change (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.11, p=<0.0001, OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.78 to 3.19, p<0.00001).”
“Memantine was superior to placebo in terms of discontinuation because of inefficacy [risk ratio (RR)=0.36, 95% CI=0.17¬ to 0.74, p=0.006, number needed to harm (NNH)=non significant].”
“Results There were no differences between galantamine and placebo in 24-month conversion rates (Study 1: 22.9% [galantamine] vs 22.6% [placebo], p = 0.146; Study 2: 25.4% [galantamine] vs 31.2% [placebo], p = 0.619).”
“Seventeen RCTs, comprising 7214 participants, investigated the efficacy of the following drugs: Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Galantamine, Memantine, Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb), Atorvastatin-calcium and Vitamin B in the treatment of AD.”
“From May 13, 2015, to July 22, 2020, 185 participants with Down syndrome were assessed for eligibility and 160 (86%) were randomly assigned either memantine (n=81) or placebo (n=79).”
“Results The study was completed by 66.9% of the donepezil- and 67.4% of the placebo-treated patients.”
“Results Data from 561 participants were analyzed (alpha tocopherol = 140, memantine = 142, combination = 139, placebo = 140), with 52 excluded because of a lack of any follow-up data.”
“Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor.This review is an updated version of a review first published in 1998.”
What kind of evidence it is
By study design
| Design (as recorded) | Studies |
|---|---|
| Systematic review or meta-analysis | 42 |
| Randomised controlled trial | 25 |
| Other clinical trial | 39 |
| Cohort or longitudinal study | 36 |
| Case-control study | 2 |
| Cross-sectional study | 4 |
| Other recorded design | 6 |
| No design recorded | 493 |
The design is the one named in alzhub's record for the study; a record with none is counted as "no design recorded".
By year
| Year | Studies | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 36 | |
| 2025 | 35 | |
| 2024 | 22 | |
| 2023 | 20 | |
| 2022 | 19 | |
| 2021 | 26 | |
| 2020 | 20 | |
| 2019 | 18 | |
| 2018 | 22 | |
| 2017 | 15 | |
| 2016 and earlier | 414 |
Other counts within the matched set
| Peer-reviewed articles | 625 |
| Marked open access in the record | 106 |
| Rated "high" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 215 |
| Rated "moderate" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 45 |
| Rated "low" evidence strength in alzhub's summary | 386 |
| No evidence-strength rating | 1 |
| Records stating a participant count | 228 |
| Median participants (those records) | 256 |
| Largest participant count | 524,975 |
Within the 647 matched studies
| Studies… | Count | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| …that name donepezil | 291 | the abstract also contains "donepezil" or "Aricept" |
| …that name memantine | 246 | the abstract also contains "memantine" or "Namenda" |
| …that mention stopping or deprescribing | 53 | the abstract also contains "deprescribe", "discontinue" or "withdraw" |
| …that mention adverse events or side effects | 133 | the abstract also contains "adverse" or "side effect" |
The 10 highest-scoring matched studies
Title matches first, then by alzhub's usefulness score, which rates a study's design, journal, evidence and recency, not whether its result is good news.
- Systematic Review of Sex-Specific Reporting of Data: Cholinesterase Inhibitor Example
- Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease
- The efficacy and safety of anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody versus acetylcholinesterase inhibitor with an in-depth analysis across genotypes and disease stages: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Memantine monotherapy for Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Safety and efficacy of galantamine in subjects with mild cognitive impairment
- Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial
- Memantine treatment in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease already receiving donepezil: a randomized controlled trial
- A 1-year, randomized, placebo-controlled study of donepezil in patients with mild to moderate AD
- Memantine for dementia
- Effect of vitamin E and memantine on functional decline in Alzheimer disease: the TEAM-AD VA cooperative randomized trial
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the set
42 of the matched records are recorded as a systematic review, meta-analysis or umbrella review; the highest-scoring not already listed above:
- Effect of long-term pharmacological treatments on Alzheimer disease: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
- Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease
- Systematic review of pharmacological interventions for people with Lewy body dementia
- Psychosocial interventions for Alzheimer's disease cognitive symptoms: a Bayesian network meta-analysis
- Efficacy and adverse effects of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine in vascular dementia: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Newest matched studies
- APH-1A and CDK5 Expression Correlates with Tau Hyperphosphorylation and Its Attenuation by Brahmi and Donep-M in STZ induced Alzheimer’s Disease Model
- CausalDiffChem: Causal Network Restoration for Therapeutic Prioritization and Repurposing Across Diseases
- Natural Sesquiterpenoids from Laggera pterodonta as bioactive Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Insights from DFT, Molecular Docking, and ADMET Profiling
- The modulatory effects of Hericium erinaceus and donepezil on amyloid accumulation and autophagy-associated clearance in Aβ 1-42 -induced N2a cells
- Presymptomatic plasma biomarkers in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease: sequence and timing
Journals with the most matched studies
| Journal | Studies |
|---|---|
| Neurology | 37 |
| Archives of neurology | 17 |
| The Cochrane database of systematic reviews | 15 |
| The Lancet. Neurology | 15 |
| Research Square | 14 |
Questions
- Do donepezil and memantine slow Alzheimer's?
- They treat symptoms: the studies measure effects on memory, thinking and daily function over months, not a change in the disease process. The anti-amyloid antibodies are the drugs studied for disease modification.
- What is a cholinesterase inhibitor?
- A drug that slows the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger between brain cells that is reduced in Alzheimer's. Donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine are the three in use.
- How many studies on donepezil and memantine does alzhub hold?
- 647 of the 29,380 study records in alzhub's library match the query "title or abstract mentions "donepezil"/"Aricept", "memantine"/"Namenda", "rivastigmine"/"Exelon", "galantamine" or "(acetyl)cholinesterase inhibitor""; 316 of them name it in the title. Counted from the records when this page was built.
- What kinds of study are they?
- 42 systematic review or meta-analysis, 25 randomised controlled trials, 39 other clinical trials, 36 cohort or longitudinal studys, 2 case-control studys, 4 cross-sectional studys; 493 record no design.
- What is the most recent study in the set?
- "APH-1A and CDK5 Expression Correlates with Tau Hyperphosphorylation and Its Attenuation by Brahmi and Donep-M in STZ induced Alzheimer’s Disease Model" (Research Square, 2026), the newest by publication date among the matched records.
- Which journals publish most on it?
- Neurology (37); Archives of neurology (17); The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (15), counted across the matched records.
Read on
- TreatmentsApproved drugs, their status and side-effect rates.
- Antipsychotics for agitation in dementiaA different drug class, often asked about alongside.