title: Fampridine-PR (prolonged released 4-aminopyridine) is not effective in patients with inflammatory demyelination of the peripheral nervous system.
abstract: Fampridine-PR is a voltage-gated potassium channel inhibitor potentially improving nerve conduction in demyelinated axons. Based on its established clinical efficacy in patients with demyelination in the central nervous system, we assessed if fampridine-PR is also effective in patients with inflammatory demyelination of the peripheral nerve. In this small open-label study, 10 patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) were treated with fampridine-PR 10 mg BID for 28 days and assessed clinically as well as by nerve conduction studies. In this study, Fampridine-PR failed to improve CIDP based on clinical measures and nerve conduction studies. Our findings suggest that Fampridine-PR appears to be ineffective in demyelinating polyneuropathies. These observations may indicate a more complex mode of action beyond improving action potential conduction in demyelinated axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Verena-Isabell
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Leussink
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stettner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Warnke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
mesh_terms: D015761:4-Aminopyridine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020277:Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating / Q000188:drug therapy*; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers; D015761:4-Aminopyridine
keywords: CIDP; demyelination; electrophysiology; immune neuropathy; voltage-gated potassium channels