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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with Alzheimer's disease in the nursing home setting
Tariot PN, Cummings JL, Katz IR, Mintzer J, Perdomo CA, Schwam EM, Whalen E.. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2001-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To evaluate the safety and efficacy of donepezil in the management of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) residing in nursing home facilities. Design Twenty-four-week, randomized, multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting Twenty-seven nursing homes across the United States.
Key findings
- Design Twenty-four-week, randomized, multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
- Setting Twenty-seven nursing homes across the United States.
- Participants Two hundred eight nursing home patients with a diagnosis of probable or possible AD, or AD with cerebrovascular disease; mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score 14.4; mean age 85.7.
- Measurements The primary outcome measure was the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH).
Why it matters
This 24-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial tested donepezil in 208 nursing home patients with Alzheimer's disease, using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version as the primary outcome. It examined a symptomatic treatment for people who already have the disease, not a cure or prevention.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: journal h-index 344 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2001 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 368 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.6 citations a year over 27 year(s) since 2001 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 13 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Edward Whalen: h-index 9 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, Los Angeles: institution h-index 1,923 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11843990) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Tariot, P. N., Cummings, J. L., Katz, I. R., Mintzer, J., Perdomo, C. A., Schwam, E. M., et al. (2001). A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with Alzheimer's disease in the nursing home setting. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2001.49266.x
Vancouver
Tariot PN, Cummings JL, Katz IR, Mintzer J, Perdomo CA, Schwam EM, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with Alzheimer's disease in the nursing home setting. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2001. doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2001.49266.x. PMID: 11843990.
BibTeX
@article{tariot2001-11843990,
author = {Tariot, P. N. and Cummings, J. L. and Katz, I. R. and Mintzer, J. and Perdomo, C. A. and Schwam, E. M. and Whalen, E.},
title = {{A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with Alzheimer's disease in the nursing home setting}},
journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society},
year = {2001},
doi = {10.1111/j.1532-5415.2001.49266.x},
pmid = {11843990},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2001.49266.x}
}
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