Budipine an effective tremorlytic agent for Parkinson's
disease
WESTPORT, Apr 16, 1999 (Reuters Health) - Budipine has shown
promise against tremor due to Parkinson's disease and may
provide an alternative to anticholinergics in this patient population.
A team from Germany, led by Dr. Sybille Spieker of the
University of Tubingen, evaluated the tremorlytic activity of
budipine in 14 patients with Parkinson's disease who were
enrolled in a larger multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled
study. All patients were taking levodopa and bromocriptine prior
to randomization to budipine, 40 to 60 milligrams, or placebo.
The team obtained long-term tremor recordings using
electromyography (EMG).
In the March/April issue of Clinical Neuropharmacology, Dr.
Spieker's group reports that budipine was well tolerated and
reduced tremor occurrence by roughly 40% in the seven
Parkinson's patients randomized to active drug treatment. Budipine
also reduced the intensity of tremors.
Budipine-treated patients also showed greater improvement on the
Columbia University Rating Scale, a subjective clinical rating scale.
Dr. Spieker's team notes in the paper that while the mechanism of
action of budipine is not completely understood, "...[it] displays a
variety of neuropharmacologic characteristics, including
N-methyl-D-aspartate-antagonistic features."
They concluded, based on findings of good tolerability and
infrequent cognitive side effects, that "...budipine will [likely]
become an alternative to anticholinergics in the treatment of tremor
in [Parkinson's disease]."
The findings also indicate, they add, that long-term EMG "...is not
only valid and reliable for the quantification of tremor....it is also
sensitive in measuring drug-induced changes [in tremor]."
Clin Neuropharm 1999;22:115-119.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
<[log in to unmask]>
^^^
\ /
\ | / Today’s Research
\\ | // ...Tomorrow’s Cure
\ | /
\|/
```````
