Effect of an opiate antagonist on movement disorders.
Animal experiments suggest that opiate peptides might play a role in extrapyramidal function. This hypothesis was tested by administering the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, in doses sufficient to antagonize exogenous opiates, to patients with parkinsonism and Huntington's disease. No improvement in the clinical features of either disorder was noted.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006816:Huntington Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
D004745:Enkephalins; D009270:Naloxone; D009271:Naltrexone