ArticleMolecular neurobiology2026
Association of Cholinergic Stimulation with Improved Functional Performance and Neurotrophic Markers in Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Article in Molecular neurobiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is frequently accompanied by early impairment in gait and postural control. Whether commonly prescribed cognitive therapies differentially influence physical function and neurotrophic signaling remains unclear. We followed 99 older adults with MCI for six months while receiving either the cholinergic agent Donepezil (n = 47, age = 68.3 ± 4.1 years) or the glutamatergic modulator Memantine (n = 52, age = 70.1 ± 3.9 years). Postural balance and gait speed were assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. Plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were measured. Donepezil treatment improved postural balance (Cohen's d = 0.30) and gait speed (d = 0.45), whereas Memantine produced no meaningful changes (d < 0.20 for both outcomes). Repeated-measures ANOVA demonstrated significant Time × Treatment interactions for balance (F(1,97) = 5.9, p < 0.05) and gait speed (F(1,97) = 6.4, p < 0.05). Plasma BDNF increased by approximately 22% (d = 0.46) and GDNF by 19% (d = 0.42) following Donepezil, with no significant biomarker changes in the Memantine group. In the Donepezil group, changes in BDNF correlated with improvements in balance (r2 = 0.13, p = 0.012) and gait speed (r2 = 0.12, p = 0.018), while GDNF changes correlated with balance (r2 = 0.10, p = 0.032) and gait speed (r2 = 0.19, p = 0.002). Multivariate regression analyses demonstrated independent associations of BDNF and GDNF with balance and selected functional outcomes after adjustment for confounders. Donepezil is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in mobility in MCI, accompanied by enhanced neurotrophic support. These findings are consistent with a relationship between cholinergic stimulation, motor function, and neurotrophic pathways in MCI.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42920027What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.