Hydergine treatment and psychophysiological measures in primary degenerative dementia.
Changes in smooth pursuit eye movements and the P300 component of the auditory evoked potential were studied in patients with primary degenerative dementia during a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of ergoloid mesylates (Hydergine). After 18 weeks of treatment, P300 latency and amplitude, recorded at three scalp electrode sites, had not changed significantly. Smooth pursuit gain was elevated for the drug group under some stimulus conditions, suggesting a normalization of pursuit eye movement functioning. However, the results of several other measures of the quality of pursuit eye movements failed to corroborate this finding.
Kuskowski
M A
MA
Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
Morley
G
G
Malone
S M
SM
Dysken
M W
MW
Okaya
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004088:Dihydroergotoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects*; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011698:Pursuit, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
D004088:Dihydroergotoxine