Biomaterial Database

Levodopa in the treatment of (pre) senile dementia. 1980

K Jellinger, and H Flament, and P Riederer, and H Schmid, and L Ambrozi

A progressive decrease of dopamine and related enzyme activities and a decline in the dopaminergic receptor functions in the striatum and limbic system controlling behavior have been observed in senescent brain. These changes provide a neurochemical basis for some behavioral and mental disturbances of the aged and suggest the possibility of a substitution therapy of neurotransmitter deficiency of senile and presenile dementia. Previous reports on the effects of levodopa treatment of dementia in parkinsonism and aging have given conflicting results. A controlled double-blind study of 6 months' administration of levodopa plus decarboxylase inhibitor given at oral doses of 250 mg daily versus placebo in twelve patients aged 54--60 years showing initial signs of organic dementia was performed. Clinical rating of twelve parameters of organic brain syndrome and psychometric studies using three subtests of the HAWIE (digit span, coding B test and block design) indicate improvement in the overall scores of organic brain syndrome and in particular in the visuospatial functions, visual memory, and visual-motor coordination. In general, improvement increased with the duration of levodopa treatment. These preliminary data suggest some beneficial effect of levodopa treatment in early stages of presenile dementia and thus open new therapeutic aspects in neurogerontology.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007980	Levodopa	The naturally occurring form of DIHYDROXYPHENYLALANINE and the immediate precursor of DOPAMINE. Unlike dopamine itself, it can be taken orally and crosses the blood-brain barrier. It is rapidly taken up by dopaminergic neurons and converted to DOPAMINE. It is used for the treatment of PARKINSONIAN DISORDERS and is usually given with agents that inhibit its conversion to dopamine outside of the central nervous system.	L-Dopa,3-Hydroxy-L-tyrosine,Dopaflex,Dopar,L-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine,Larodopa,Levopa,3 Hydroxy L tyrosine,L 3,4 Dihydroxyphenylalanine,L Dopa
D008297	Male		Males
D008568	Memory	Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D008606	Mental Processes	Conceptual functions or thinking in all its forms.	Information Processing, Human,Human Information Processing
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010919	Placebos	Any dummy medication or treatment. Although placebos originally were medicinal preparations having no specific pharmacological activity against a targeted condition, the concept has been extended to include treatments or procedures, especially those administered to control groups in clinical trials in order to provide baseline measurements for the experimental protocol.	Sham Treatment
D002986	Clinical Trials as Topic	Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries.	Clinical Trial as Topic
D003704	Dementia	An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness.	Senile Paranoid Dementia,Amentia,Familial Dementia,Amentias,Dementia, Familial,Dementias,Dementias, Familial,Dementias, Senile Paranoid,Familial Dementias,Paranoid Dementia, Senile,Paranoid Dementias, Senile,Senile Paranoid Dementias
D004311	Double-Blind Method	A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment.	Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D004338	Drug Combinations	Single preparations containing two or more active agents, for the purpose of their concurrent administration as a fixed dose mixture.	Drug Combination,Combination, Drug,Combinations, Drug