title: Nootropic drugs in Alzheimer's disease: symptomatic treatment with pramiracetam.
abstract: The cognitive-enhancing effects of pramiracetam in animal models of learning and memory are characterized by an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. We evaluated antidementia efficacy of this drug in 10 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease employing a 2-phase, placebo-controlled, enrichment-type trial design. Eight patients evidenced a best dose in the dose-finding phase, but in the subsequent replication phase only two again improved to a similar degree. PETs with fluorodeoxyglucose obtained in two individuals showed no definite change. Doses up to 4,000 mg pramiracetam are unlikely to confer symptomatic benefit to Alzheimer's disease patients.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Therapeutics Branch, National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuffra
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blin
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Chase
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; C038438:pramiracetam; D003847:Deoxyglucose