Document Detail


Efficacy of levetiracetam in Huntington disease.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16340384     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: Levetiracetam (LEV) is a novel antiepileptic drug characterized by a wide spectrum of action; no pharmacologic interaction and poor adverse events are reported. In animal models, effects of LEV are observed in basal ganglia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of LEV in reducing involuntary movements in subjects affected by Huntington disease (HD). METHODS: This was a single-center, short-term, open-label, controlled study. Patients had LEV as add-on therapy for 6 months. In the first visit patients were rated according to the Unified Huntington Disease Rating Scale. Every 2 months they were submitted to all these tests. LEV was added at the dose of 500 mg twice daily for the first 2 months and then the dosage was increased until 1000 mg twice daily for the next 4 more months. The authors enrolled 22 patients: 15 were assigned to the LEV group and 7 were enrolled as control subjects. RESULTS: No serious adverse events were experienced by the treated patients. After 6 months of treatment patients on LEV showed a significant reduction of involuntary movements, with a slight improvement of functional capacity compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Results of this short-term, prospective, controlled study indicates that in HD patients, LEV is effective in reducing involuntary movements, thus improving the quality of life.
Authors:
Marina de Tommaso; Olimpia Di Fruscolo; Vittorio Sciruicchio; Nicola Specchio; Claudia Cormio; Maria Fara De Caro; Paolo Livrea
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Clinical Trial; Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Clinical neuropharmacology     Volume:  28     ISSN:  0362-5664     ISO Abbreviation:  Clin Neuropharmacol     Publication Date:    2005 Nov-Dec
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-12-12     Completed Date:  2006-03-02     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7607910     Medline TA:  Clin Neuropharmacol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  280-4     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy. m.detommaso@neurol.uniba.it
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Anticonvulsants / therapeutic use*
Case-Control Studies
Disability Evaluation
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug Administration Schedule
Drug Evaluation
Eye Movements / drug effects
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Huntington Disease / drug therapy*
Male
Middle Aged
Neurologic Examination
Piracetam / analogs & derivatives*,  therapeutic use
Severity of Illness Index
Treatment Outcome
Walking
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Anticonvulsants; 33996-58-6/etiracetam; 7491-74-9/Piracetam

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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