In the first study of its kind, Duke University researchers found that MR imaging and MR spectroscopy can monitor a drug's effects in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Investigators analyzed the effect of donepezil, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, on hippocampal volume and on concentrations of N-acetylaspartate. They found increased levels of NAA and a smaller hippocampal volume change in participants taking the drug, compared with those taking a placebo.

The randomized double-blind study, published in the November issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, suggests that such drugs may also reduce hippocampal volume changes and neuronal loss.