PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Kinzler

Publications and source records attributed to E Kinzler.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

A 28-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with Cerebrolysin in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Cerebrolysin (Cere) is a compound with neurotrophic activity which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in earlier trials. The efficacy and safety of repeated treatments with Cere were investigated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. One hundred and forty-nine patients were enrolled (76 Cere; 73 placebo). Patients received i.v. infusions of 30 ml Cere or placebo 5 days per week for 4 weeks. This treatment was repeated after a 2-month therapy-free interval. Effects on cognition and clinical global impressions were evaluated 4, 12, 16, and 28 weeks after the beginning of the infusions using the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subpart (ADAS-cog). All assessments, including the 28-week follow-up visit were performed under double-blind conditions. At week 16, the responder rate of the Cere group was 63.5% on the CGI, compared to 41.4% in the placebo group (P < 0.004). In the ADAS-cog, an efficacy difference of 3.2 points in favour of Cere was observed (P < 0.0001). Notably, improvements were largely maintained in the Cere group until week 28, 3 months after the end of treatment. Adverse events were recorded in 43% of Cere and 38% of placebo patients. Cere treatment was well tolerated and led to significant improvement in cognition and global clinical impression. A sustained benefit was still evident 3 months after drug withdrawal.

Aged↗

Confirmed clinical efficacy of Actovegin in elderly patients with organic brain syndrome.

A double-blind randomized clinical trial was performed comparing the therapeutic effects of Actovegin versus placebo in elderly patients with organic brain syndrome. In addition to the necessary basic internal medicine therapy, 40 geriatric patients received dialy intravenous infusions of 250 ml Actovegin 20% p.i., and 20 patients received 250 ml 0.9% saline solution as placebo over a period of four weeks. Of the patient sample, 58% were hospitalized for simple dementia (ICD-9: 290.0) and 42% due to senile dementia with depressive or paranoid symptoms (ICD-9: 290.2). Based on the Syndrome Short Test (SKT) and the Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric Scale (SCAG) score, the patients suffered from mild to moderate dementia. The therapeutic effect on the total SCAG score and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were the primary study variables. The scores for the SCAG subscales and the SKT score served as secondary variables. The mean total SCAG score in the drug group decreased from 56.3 at the start of therapy to 36.3 points at the end of therapy, and in the placebo group the total score went from 61.2 to 52.0 (p < 0.01). The CGI showed that with Actovegin, 70% of the patients experienced "distinct improvement" or "improvement" compared to only 35% with such results in the placebo group. The SCAG subscales and the total SKT score also demonstrated the superior effects of Actovegin compared to placebo. Moreover, the therapy group treated with Actovegin showed greater improvements in social behavior and mental performance than did the placebo group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of risperidone versus clozapine in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

This study compares the antipsychotic efficacy and the tolerability of risperidone and clozapine in patients with schizophrenia. Patients were randomized to double-blind treatment with risperidone, 4 mg (N = 20), risperidone, 8 mg (N = 19), or clozapine, 400 mg (N = 20), daily for 28 days. Efficacy was assessed by improvement of psychotic symptoms, measured on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and Clinical Global Impression. The tolerability was assessed by the Simpson and Angus scale for extrapyramidal side effects (EPS), the Association for Methodology and Documentation in Psychiatry (AMDP) scale for somatic side effects, spontaneous reports of adverse events, clinical laboratory assessments, and vital signs. All treatments reduced psychotic symptoms. The global tolerability was significantly better in the risperidone than in the clozapine-treated patients (p < 0.01). There were no differences between treatments on the AMDP scale. The most frequent spontaneously reported adverse effects were dizziness, fatigue, accommodation disturbance, and EPS in all treatment groups and increased salivation, mainly in the clozapine-treated patients. Although there were no changes in vital signs during risperidone treatment, clozapine was associated with a mean reduction in heart rate of 10 beats/minute. Risperidone tolerability at endpoint was classified as "very good" by 60 and 47% of patients treated with risperidone, 4 and 8 mg daily, respectively; the corresponding figure in clozapine-treated patients was 30%. The results suggest that risperidone is at least as effective as an antipsychotic as clozapine, providing a valuable new approach for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Adult↗

Risperidone versus clozapine in the treatment of schizophrenic patients with acute symptoms: a double blind, randomized trial.

1. In order to verify the hypothesis that risperidone is a useful therapeutic alternative to clozapine the authors carried out a randomized double blind trial in 59 patients with paranoid hallucinatory psychoses. 2. In a treatment lasting 28 days three groups of patients received either 4 mg risperidone (N = 20), 8 mg risperidone (N = 19), or 400 mg clozapine (N = 20) daily. 3. The tolerance of 4 mg risperidone was globally assessed as being better than that of 400 mg clozapine. Drop-outs under clozapine were mostly caused by side effects, whereas under risperidone they tended to occur for therapeutic inefficacy. 4. The antipsychotic effect was highly significant and clinically relevant under both risperidone and clozapine.

Acute Disease↗

[Effect of a special kava extract in patients with anxiety-, tension-, and excitation states of non-psychotic genesis. Double blind study with placebos over 4 weeks].

Clinical Efficacy of a Kava Extract in Patients with Anxiety Syndrome/Double-blind placebo controlled study over 4 weeks. In a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind study two groups each containing 29 patients with anxiety syndrome not caused by psychotic disorders were treated for a period of 4 weeks with kava extract WS 1490 (Laitan) 3 x 100 mg/day or a placebo preparation. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed by the Hamilton-Anxiety-Scale (main target variable), the Adjectives-List and the Clinical-Global-Impression-Scale (secondary target variables) after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The HAMA overall score of anxiety symptomatology revealed a significant reduction in the drug receiving group already after one week of treatment. This difference between the two groups of patients increased in the course of the study. The results of the secondary target variables were in agreement with the HAMA-score and demonstrate the efficacy of WS 1490 in patients with anxiety disorders. No adverse experiences caused by the medication were noted during the 4 week administration of WS 1490.

Adolescent↗

[Comparison of the effects of the anthracene derivative danitracen (WA335-BS) and amitriptyline in depressive patients (author's transl)].

9,10-Dihydro-10-(1-methyl-4-piperidylidene)-9-anthrol (danitracen, WA 335) is a substance with a stronger peripheral and partly central antiserotonin and antihistamine effect than cyproheptadine. In 5 different hospitals, WA 335 (3 X 1 mg/die) was investigated versus amitriptyline (3 X 50 mg/die) in a double-blind study in 116 depressive patients of different nosology. In the end of the investigation period (20 days), under WA 335 treatment 67.7% and under ami-riptyline treatment 66.7% of the patients showed an improvement of 50% = decrease in the Hamilton depression score. However, a decrease of 50% in the selfrating scale (von Zerssen) was only shown by 57% of the patients under WA 335 administration and 51% under amitriptyline administration. There were no significant differences seen as regards course and side effects of the two drugs. Like amitriptyline, WA 335 shows sedative properties at the beginning of therapy.

Adult↗