The effects of deanol on cognitive performance and electrophysiology in elderly humans.

Deanol (900 mg/day for 21 days) had no effect on learning a list of words when tested at weekly intervals. Tests of simple and complex reaction time and a test of continuous serial decoding of digits showed no enhancement with the drug. Several components of evoked potentials recorded from several scalp sites did show enhanced amplitude under drug treatment. These changes were not accompanied by changes in the EEG spectrum as are seen with some other psychoactive drugs. Deanol seems to be an ineffective treatment for the normal slowing of cognitive function seen in the normal elderly person or those elderly with only minimal cognitive decline and free of symptoms of dementia. Contrary to earlier reports, elderly persons were found to be able to benefit from warning signals in a complex reaction time task.