Donepezil and flight simulator performance: Effects on retention of complex skills

Abstract

We report a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study to test the effects of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil (5 mg/d for 30 days), on aircraft pilot performance in 18 licensed pilots with mean age of 52 years. After 30 days of treatment, the donepezil group showed greater ability to retain the capacity to perform a set of complex simulator tasks than the placebo group, p < 0.05. Donepezil appears to have beneficial effects on retention of training on complex aviation tasks in nondemented older adults.

Psychoactive Drugs and Pilot Performance: A Comparison of Nicotine, Donepezil, and Alcohol Effects

“…In our placebo-controlled study of donepezil, the drug group performed better on a set of complex flight simulator tasks than the placebo group after a 30-day treatment (Yesavage et al, 2002).…”

“…Study IIFDonepezil Study (Yesavage et al, 2002) This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel group study tested the effects of donepezil on flight simulator performance in 18 pilots. After being trained in the flight simulator, subjects were tested twice a day on each of 2 test days that were 30 days apart: baseline day and posttreatment day.…”

“…Pilots who ingested a daily dose of 5 mg donepezil for 30 days performed significantly better on emergency detection, on approach to landing and on overall flight performance than pilots who ingested a placebo pill for 30 days (see Yesavage et al, 2002). Table 3 shows all mean flight summary change scores and flight component change scores of the pilots in the donepezil and the placebo condition and the t-values of the comparison of the means.…”

Preferences for Enhancement Pharmaceuticals: The Reluctance to Enhance Fundamental Traits

“…One such drug, donepezil, is already on the market and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat memory loss. Indeed, one study found that pilots who took donepezil just before learning specific maneuvers in a flight simulator outperformed a control group on tests of performance conducted I month later (Yesavage et al 2002).…”

The Pharmacologically Enhanced Physician

“…Whether methylphenidate or other stimulants could decrease performance errors by those without the disorder or by physicians is an untested question. In another study, donepezil was shown to improve retention of training on complex aviation tasks among licensed pilots without dementia [6].…”