title: Functional improvement in a patient with cerebral calcinosis using a bisphosphonate.
abstract: Idiopathic cerebral calcification can be associated with a progressive neurologic disorder for which there is no known treatment. This report describes a patient with a familial form of this disorder presenting in middle age with progressive Parkinson-like features along with spasticity, dystonia, and ataxia. Disodium etidronate, a bisphosphonate, produced a two-fold improvement in the rate of his speech and gait, but did not affect his spasticity, dystonia, or ataxia. Quantitative analysis of cerebral calcification did not reveal any reduction in the amount of calcification, suggesting other possible mechanisms for this clinical improvement.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurobiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Loeb
mesh_terms: D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012968:Etidronic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005684:Gait / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D012968:Etidronic Acid