ergoline and Cognition-Disorders

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder characterized by an urge to move the legs. The symptoms show a strong circadian rhythmicity, with onset or increase in the evening or at night; thus, sleep disturbances are the most frequent reason for patients seeking medical aid. The prevalence of the disorder increases strongly with age, with an estimated 9% to 20% of sufferers being among the elderly. Dopaminergic drugs are the first-line treatment option in RLS; opioids and anticonvulsants can also be used either as add-on or stand alone therapy options. Secondary forms of RLS and possible interaction with other medications require particular consideration in the elderly.

Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Benzothiazoles; Cabergoline; Circadian Rhythm; Cognition Disorders; Comorbidity; Diagnosis, Differential; Dopamine Agonists; Ergolines; Humans; Indoles; Polysomnography; Pramipexole; Prevalence; Restless Legs Syndrome; Sleep Wake Disorders

The potential antagonism of a single oral dose of RU 41 656 (10 mg) on the memory and attention disturbances induced by oral administration of triazolam (0.25 mg) have been investigated in a 3-period, placebo controlled, double blind, cross-over study involving 12 healthy young volunteers. The effects of the compounds were evaluated by objective tests (Buschke selective reminding test, CFF, simple reaction time, tapping, arithmetical calculation) and subjective measurements (visual analogue scale, side effects questionnaire). Measurements were taken before treatment and 2, 4 and 7 h after RU 41 656 intake. Triazolam caused anterograde amnesia as already described with other benzodiazepine with few sedative effects at this dosage. Under the experimental conditions of the trial, RU 41 656 failed to counteract the memory deficits induced by triazolam.

Topics: Adult; Attention; Cognition Disorders; Double-Blind Method; Emotions; Ergolines; Flicker Fusion; Humans; Male; Memory; Memory Disorders; Psychomotor Performance; Reaction Time; Receptors, Dopamine; Receptors, Dopamine D2; Reference Values; Triazolam

In this study, the hemodynamic and neurochemical effects of lisuride, a dopamine agonist with serotoninergic properties, have been evaluated in de novo parkinsonian patients and in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and urinary catecholamine (CA) fluctuations throughout the 24-h cycle were monitored before and during lisuride therapy along with BP, HR, and plasma CA responses to the tilt-table test. Lisuride (1.2-2.4 mg/day) administered in an open-type 15-day study was capable of decreasing the urinary CA excretion and norepinephrine plasma levels in parkinsonian patients. In some cases, the cardiovascular response to standing was impaired. Lower doses of the drug (0.15 mg/day), administered to elderly patients in a double-blind parallel group vs. placebo study, did not induce any change in cardiopressor responses but decreased the 24-h urinary excretion of epinephrine. These results suggest the importance in both conditions of detecting early stages of alterations in cardiopressor homeostatic processes before therapy with DAergic drugs is initiated.

Topics: Aged; Aging; Blood Pressure; Catecholamines; Circadian Rhythm; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cognition Disorders; Double-Blind Method; Ergolines; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Lisuride; Male; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease; Posture; Time Factors

Up to date 6 patients with initial presenile idiopathic cognitive decline (PICD) and 5 suffering from a presenile Alzheimer-type dementia (PAD) with a mean age of 59.5 were admitted to the trial. The 6 PICD patients were assigned to a double-blind nicergoline/placebo 6-month course with an oral dose of 30 mg twice a day. PAD patients were treated in an open design (nicergoline oral dose 30 mg twice a day) for at least 6 months. Until now only 4 PICD and 3 PAD patients have been treated regularly for 6 months. Two of 4 PICD patients showed a progressive enhancement of contingent negative variation (CNV), shorter reaction time (RT) and an improvement of clinical status. The other 2 PICD patients, on the contrary, showed a progressive mild worsening of CNV-RT and clinical patterns. The double-blind trial is not yet completed. CNV activity, RTs and clinical patterns progressively improved also in 2 PAD patients while in the 3rd they remained nearly unchanged or minimally worse during the 6-month treatment. The positive nicergoline effect on CNV-RT and clinical status noted in our patients appeared similar to that observed by other authors with DHEMT in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type. No adverse drug-related reactions were seen.

Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Cognition Disorders; Contingent Negative Variation; Double-Blind Method; Electroencephalography; Electrophysiology; Ergolines; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nicergoline; Reaction Time

Pergolide, an experimental dopamine agonist, was administered to 56 patients with advanced Parkinson disease who were no longer satisfactorily responding to levodopa, including 45 patients with diurnal oscillations in performance: "on-off" phenomena. Lisuride, an experimental dopamine agonist was administered to 63 patients with advanced Parkinson disease. Pergolide or lisuride, when added to levodopa, resulted in a significant decrease in disability in both the "on" and the "off" period, and an increase in the number of hours in which patients were "on". Forty-one of 56 patients (73%) improved on Pergolide. Thirty-seven of 63 patients (59%) improved on lisuride. Mean dose of pergolide was 2.5 mg. (range 0.2 to 10.0 mg.). Mean dose of lisuride was 2.6 mg. (range 0.2 to 5.0 mg.). Pergolide was discontinued in 18 patients because of adverse effects, including an organic confusional syndrome (six patients), dyskinesias (four patients) and cardiovascular abnormalities (three patients). Lisuride was discontinued in 26 patients because of adverse effects, including an organic confusional syndrome (15 patients), dyskinesias (five patients) and vasospasm (two patients). Pergolide was discontinued in nine patients and lisuride in 12 because of a lack of effect or a declining effect. Both drugs are equally useful in patients with advanced Parkinson disease.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Alanine Transaminase; Antiparkinson Agents; Aspartate Aminotransferases; Cognition Disorders; Dopamine; Drug Evaluation; Ergolines; Female; Humans; Lisuride; Male; Middle Aged; Nausea; Neurologic Examination; Parkinson Disease; Pergolide; Vasculitis

Topics: Aged; Antiparkinson Agents; Cognition Disorders; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Ergolines; Grief; Humans; Lisuride; Male; Middle Aged; Pergolide; Schizophrenic Psychology; Sleep Wake Disorders

Topics: Aged; Bromocriptine; Cognition Disorders; Confusion; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electroencephalography; Ergolines; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Parkinson Disease; Personality Disorders; Psychoses, Substance-Induced; Schizophrenia