A double-blind cross-over study was carried out in 54 patients with Parkinson's disease to evaluate the efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride as compared to a lactose placebo in the management of this illness. Amantadine proved to be a useful and safe addition to the armamentarium when given in daily doses of 200 mg. Forty-eight per cent of patients experienced moderate to good results while 31% showed no measurable improvement. The quality of the improvement was inferior to that obtained with levodopa, but the side effects were fewer. The study could not demonstrate a useful synergistic action between the two drugs, nor could the response to amantadine be used to predict that with levodopa. On the other hand, the addition of amantadine was useful in a few instances where optimal therapeutic doses of levodopa could not be given because of side effects. The mechanism of action of amantadine is still conjectural, but there is strong evidence to indicate some interaction with central dopamine metabolism.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1971

Angiotensin-forming enzyme in brain tissue.

A renin-like enzyme is present in brain tissue and is independent of kidney and plasma renin. In the presence of homologous substrate it forms angiotensin. Administration of aldosterone significantly decreases this angiotensinforming enzyme activity, while administration of progesterone markedly enhances it.

Aldosterone↗

PubMed1971

Long-term side-effects of levodopa.

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Journal Article↗

PubMed1971

Seizures in rats associated with divalent cation inhibition of NA + -K + -ATP'ase.

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Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1971

The nosology of extrapyramidal disorders.

The author presents a new classification of extrapyramidal diseases based on a clinical and genetic approach to the nosology. This classification is intended as a working frame for a reevaluation of the pathogenesis of many of the illnesses listed. A discussion of some theoretic possibilities derived from such a study concludes the paper.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1971