benztropine and Muscle-Rigidity

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study with long-term follow-up of amantadien i- Parkinson's disease was performed on 26 patients. Other antiparkinsonian medications were discontinued in all but three patients. Amantadine resulted in a statistically significant 12 percent overall improvement over placebo. Twenty of 26 patients, without breaking the code, selected amantadine for long-term usage. Ten patients continued treatment for 10 to 12 months, and an overall statistically significant improvement was noted at 2 weeks and at 1, 2, 3, and 10 to 12 months. Improvements in tremor and rigidity remained relatively constant, while there was some apparent loss of efficacy in timed tests and quality of timed tests. Amantadine appears effective in the long-term treatment of some patients with Parkinson's disease.

Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Amantadine; Benztropine; Clinical Trials as Topic; Diphenhydramine; Drug Evaluation; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Locomotion; Long-Term Care; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Rigidity; Parkinson Disease; Procyclidine; Time Factors; Tremor; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: Adult; Aged; Amantadine; Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors; Benztropine; Dihydroxyphenylalanine; Dopamine; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Homovanillic Acid; Humans; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Rigidity; Parkinson Disease; Piperazines; Placebos; Probenecid; Pyrimidines; Receptors, Cholinergic; Tremor; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: Adult; Benztropine; Bromocriptine; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Male; Muscle Rigidity; Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome; Tropanes

The effect of anti-parkinson drugs on reserpine-induced rigidity was examined using a technique which measured rigidity by hind limb palpation. Centrally acting dopaminergic and anti-cholinergic drugs were able to antagonize reserpine-induced rigidity, whereas peripherally acting drugs had no effect. Results are discussed in terms of possible modes of action. Relative potencies of the drugs studied in this model were well correlated with the dose ranges of clinically established anti-parkinson drugs. It is concluded that measurement of reserpine-induced rigidity by hind limb palpation is a rapid and sensitive technique to evaluate potential anti-parkinson drugs.

Topics: Amantadine; Animals; Antiparkinson Agents; Apomorphine; Benztropine; Carbidopa; Hindlimb; Levodopa; Male; Methamphetamine; Muscle Rigidity; Rats; Reserpine; Scopolamine; Time Factors; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: Adult; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Benztropine; Catatonia; Coma; Creatine Kinase; Female; Fever; Fluphenazine; Humans; Movement Disorders; Muscle Rigidity; Phenothiazines; Schizophrenia; Syndrome