[Drug evaluation of huperzine A in the treatment of senile memory disorders].
Huperzine A is an alkaloid which was first isolated from Huperzia serrata (Thumb) Trev by Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences and Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It exhibits a significant anticholinesterase activity and has been used on myasthenia gravis patients. The therapeutic effects were studied by random, match and double-blind method on 56 patients of multi-infarct dementia or senile dementia and 104 patients of senile and presenile simple memory disorders. The curative effects were evaluated by Wechsler memory scale. The im dose for multi-infarct dementia was 0.05 mg bid for 4 wk, whereas that for senile and presenile simple memory disorders was 0.03 mg bid for 2 wk. Saline was used on control group. The result showed that the curative effect of huperzine A was significant. Only a few patients felt slight dizziness and this did not affect the therapeutic effects.
Zhang
R W
RW
Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, China.
Tang
X C
XC
Han
Y Y
YY
Sang
G W
GW
Zhang
Y D
YD
Ma
Y X
YX
Zhang
C L
CL
Yang
R M
RM
D000368:Aged; D000470:Alkaloids; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015161:Dementia, Multi-Infarct / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000470:Alkaloids; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C050426:huperzine A