The Effect of Donepezil on Sedation and Other Symptoms

Stopped early · Phase 3 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Advanced Cancer

In brief

Primary Objective: 1\. To determine the effectiveness of donepezil as compared to placebo for the management of opiate-induced sedation/drowsiness in patients with stable cancer pain Secondary Objectives: 1. To assess the side-effects in both groups of 1 week treatment of 5 mg donepezil and placebo 2. To assess the effects of donepezil on fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue), and other symptoms (Anderson Symptom Assessment Scale) 3. To assess the effects of donepezil on cognition (Symbol Digit Modalities Test) 4. To assess the effects of donepezil on constipation (number of bowel movements)

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00352664

Run by

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

People needed

27

Starts

2003-11-01

Expected to finish

2007-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2016-05-09

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Patient with drowsiness/sedation caused by opiate for > 3 days and its intensity more or equal to 3/10 (0 to 10 scale; 0 = no sedation, 10=worst possible sedation).
• Patient receiving a regular dose of a strong opioid for the treatment of cancer pain, and no dose changes or dose change within 50% for at least 48 hours.Regular administration, defined as short acting opioids oral or parenteral every 4 hours around clock, slow release oral opioids every 12 hs or 24 hs, or transdermal opioids every 72 hours. Strong opioids include morphine, hydromorphone, methadone, fentanyl, and oxycodone.
• Patient with relatively intact cognition defined by the Mini Mental State Examination according to age and educational level. A score of 24 or above is usually considered normal.
• Patient willing to engage in follow up visit with a nurse by phone on day 2-7 (each day), 11 and 15 of the study and to return for follow up visit on day 8 of treatment. If patient is unable to come to clinic, assessment will be performed through telephone.
• Sexually active females at risk of being pregnant with a negative urine pregnancy test
• Written consent form signed.
• Patients are 18 years or older
• Concurrent radiation treatment (defined as 10 or less fractions for a palliative indication) is allowed
• Concurrent chemotherapy is allowed, if the first two cycles have been well tolerated (defined as no grade 3 or 4 non-hematological toxicity)

You may not qualify if…

• Major contraindication to donepezil i.e. hypersensitivity to donepezil or piperidine derivatives.
• Patients in whom a major change in opiate dose, analgesia requirements, anesthetic procedures or general anesthetic is expected over the next seven days.
• Treatment with anti-cholinergic agents (i.e., glycopyrrolate)
• Patients taking Methylphenidate.
• Patients with tube feeding (due to difficulty of accurate assessing some of the symptoms such as appetite and anorexia).
• History of ongoing arrhythmia causing a rhythm other than a sinus rhythm

Where it is running

• U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center — Houston, Texas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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