Donepezil primarily attenuates scopolamine-induced deficits in psychomotor function, with moderate effects on simple conditioning and attention, and small effects on working memory and spatial mapping

Rationale Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) patients have profound deficits in cognitive and social functions, mediated in part by a decline in cholinergic function. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) are the most commonly prescribed treatment for the cognitive deficits in AD patients, but their therapeutic effects are small, and it is still not clear if they primarily affect attention, memory, or some other cognitive/behavioral functions.