title: Treatment of heredo-degenerative ataxias with amantadine hydrochloride.
abstract: Amantadine hydrochloride (AH) was administered (200 mg/day) for more than three months to 17 patients with Friedreich's ataxia (FA) and to 12 patients with olivopontocerebellar atrophies (OPCA) in an open clinical trial. Reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) with the right and left hand were measured before and after treatment. A striking improvement on both RT and MT was observed in the OPCA group (on seven out of eight measures), whereas in the FA patients improvement was seen only in two out of four MT measures with no improvement in RT. Both groups had low levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) in their cerebrospinal fluid before treatment, relative to their controls. However, improvement with AH was not related to HVA levels.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Neuropsychology and Behavioral Neurology, Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Botez
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Botez
authors.forename: O L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Pedraza
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000547:Amantadine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005621:Friedreich Ataxia / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D009849:Olivopontocerebellar Atrophies / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time
chemical_list: D000547:Amantadine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid