benztropine and Tremor

Topics: Animals; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Benztropine; Brain; Cats; Caudate Nucleus; Cerebellar Nuclei; Chlorpromazine; Corpus Striatum; Disease Models, Animal; Dopamine; Haloperidol; Haplorhini; Humans; Levodopa; Movement Disorders; Olivary Nucleus; Parkinson Disease; Putamen; Rats; Red Nucleus; Substantia Nigra; Thalamic Nuclei; Tremor

Four open-label studies have reported beneficial effects of clozapine on the tremor of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). We performed a double-blind crossover trial with a 2-week washout, comparing low-dose clozapine to benztropine for the treatment of tremor in PD. Twenty-two subjects enrolled and 19 completed the study. Benztropine and clozapine were equally effective in improving tremor and the motor score of the United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale at mean doses of 3.0 and 39 mg/day, respectively. Significant adverse events were experienced with each drug, but leukopenia was not encountered. We conclude that the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine is helpful in the treatment of tremor in PD and should be considered when all other drug therapies fail.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antiparkinson Agents; Antipsychotic Agents; Benztropine; Clozapine; Cross-Over Studies; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease; Treatment Outcome; Tremor

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: Absorption; Antipsychotic Agents; Benztropine; Cholinergic Agents; Female; Humans; Laxatives; Middle Aged; Tremor

Hereditary spastic paraplegia with thin corpus callosum is a rare degenerative disease, which is characterized by a progressive weakness of the lower limbs with a hypoplastic corpus callosum, and is often associated with other symptoms such as mental impairment, amyotrophy, sensory disturbances, dysuria, nystagmus and cataract. We describe two siblings (brother and sister) who showed a thin corpus callosum on MRI, one of whom showed the pure form of progressive spastic paraplegia, while the other showed predominant levodopa-responsive parkinsonism. The present cases are illustrative of a phenotypic heterogeneity in the same family of spastic paraplegia with a thin corpus callosum, despite the identical neuroimaging findings, and also presented another form of autosomal recessive juvenile levodopa-responsive parkinsonism.

Topics: Adolescent; Antiparkinson Agents; Benztropine; Cognition Disorders; Corpus Callosum; Electroencephalography; Female; Gait Disorders, Neurologic; Humans; Levodopa; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Muscle Weakness; Neuropsychological Tests; Parkinson Disease; Selegiline; Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary; Tremor

"Rubral" tremor is a rare movement disorder that occurs typically with midbrain damage. It is defined by its presence at rest, with sustained posture, and with movement. Whether it is a single-tremor disorder or a combination of two distinct tremors is debated. This report chronicles a severe neuroleptic induced "rubral" tremor in a patient who had had a stable posttraumatic ataxia. The dramatic response to benztropine and bromocriptine is illustrated in the videotape.

Topics: Adult; Benztropine; Bromocriptine; Corpus Striatum; Fluphenazine; Humans; Male; Neural Pathways; Red Nucleus; Substantia Nigra; Tremor

Rubral tremor is characterized by a slow coarse tremor at rest that is exacerbated by postural adjustments and by guided voluntary movements. Some authorities have questioned whether it should be regarded as a distinct clinical entity. We observed three cases of rubral tremor following stroke and studied the movements by videotape recordings. The tremors were very similar in the three cases, and all showed plastic rigidity and dystonic posturing of the affected limbs. Rehabilitation difficulties out of proportion to the motor deficit were present, but all three patients responded favourably to treatment with levodopa-carbidopa. Lesions of the superior cerebellar peduncle, midbrain tegmentum or posterior part of the thalamus may cause this peculiar tremor, and it is probable that lesions of the red nucleus itself are not crucial for its production. The similarity of the clinical features and management problems of these cases suggests that it is valuable to regard rubral tremor as a specific clinical syndrome.

Topics: Aged; Benztropine; Carbidopa; Cerebellum; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Female; Humans; Levodopa; Male; Middle Aged; Red Nucleus; Tegmentum Mesencephali; Thalamus; Tremor

Topics: Attention; Basal Ganglia Diseases; Benztropine; Diazepam; Electroencephalography; Electromyography; Humans; Lip; Masticatory Muscles; Motor Skills; Movement Disorders; Phenytoin; Sleep; Sleep, REM; Tremor; Tryptophan; Wakefulness

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Atropine; Benztropine; Brain Chemistry; Depression, Chemical; Drug Interactions; Male; Oxotremorine; Parasympatholytics; Physostigmine; Rats; Stimulation, Chemical; Time Factors; Tremor; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: 5-Hydroxytryptophan; Animals; Atropine; Benztropine; Dihydroxyphenylalanine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Interactions; Drug Synergism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Oxotremorine; Piperazines; Quinolines; Serotonin; Tremor; Tremorine; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: Alkaloids; Animals; Antiparkinson Agents; Atropine; Benztropine; Body Temperature; Central Nervous System; Dibenzazepines; Drug Antagonism; Indoles; Male; Methylamines; Mice; Nicotine; Oxotremorine; Parasympatholytics; Procyclidine; Pupil; Pyridines; Seizures; Tremor; Trihexyphenidyl

Topics: Acetylcholine; Animals; Atropine; Autonomic Nervous System; Benztropine; Bromides; Cats; Ganglia; Ganglia, Autonomic; Guinea Pigs; Heterocyclic Compounds; Histamine; Mesylates; Mice; Muscle, Smooth; Parasympatholytics; Pharmacology; Rats; Research; Spasm; Tremor; Tropanes