Donepezil and \(\alpha\) -synuclein Constipation: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Four patients with \(\alpha\) -synuclein or Lewy body diseases were diagnosed at different phases of illness progression in a case study. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) Donepezil was used to treat the symptoms of constipation, obstipation, and impaction in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and Neurocognitive Disorder with Lewy Bodies (NCDLB). Obstipation is defined as severe constipation, with frequency of bowel movements reduced to less than once a week. Donepezil was linked with significant symptom reduction in all four patients, which was sustained at six, twelve, eighteen, thirty-six, and forty-eight month intervals with no apparent loss in bowel motility or the onset of new symptoms. The findings imply that the AChEI Donepezil can help individuals with \(\alpha\) -synuclein disorders reduce their symptoms of constipation, obstipation, and impaction over time.