Neurology News Briefs January 1997

Following are briefs from studies published in the January issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurologyís (AAN) scientific journal.

For full releases or studies contact:
Sarah Parsons or Rona Stewart at:
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Neurology News Briefs January 1997

New Treatment Developed for Parkinsonís Disease

Parkinsonís disease patients experience fewer fluctuations in their symptoms throughout the day with a new drug treatment, according to a recent study. Patients also need less of the main medication for Parkinsonís, or levodopa, when the drug tolcapone is added to their treatment, the study showed.

ìThis is another step toward making treatment better and smoother and making life better for patients,î said Matthias Kurth, MD, PhD, a neurologist with Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Ariz., and co-author of the study. Tolcapone prolongs the effect of levodopa by inhibiting the enzyme involved in metabolizing the levodopa. This allows the levodopa to remain in the bloodstream longer.

The double-blind study examined 151 Parkinsonís disease patients experiencing fluctuations in motor function. Patients were given either tolcapone or a placebo in addition to their levodopa therapy for six weeks. The study found that tolcapone reduced patientsí ìoffî time by an average of 40 percent and increased their total ìonî time by about 25 percent. Patients taking tolcapone also needed fewer doses of levodopa each day to maintain the drugís benefit.

Tolcapone is being presented to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and is expected to be approved in 1997, Kurth said.

Study Shows New Treatment for Menstrual Migraine

Women who experience migraine headaches around the time of menstruation may find relief using the drug bromocriptine, according to a recent study. The drug, a dopamine agonist, benefited 18 of 24 women by a 72 percent decrease in disabling menstrual migraines that did not respond fully to other treatments.

ìThis is good news for the 18 percent of all women who suffer from migraine headaches,î said Andrew Herzog, MD, a neurologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass., and author of the study. ìFor 60 percent of them, migraines worsen at menstruation, and for 14 percent, migraines occur only at the time of menstruation.î

The women were given the bromocriptine in addition to their regular migraine treatment for one year. The number of migraines they experienced during that year was compared with the number they had experienced the year before. The drug eliminated all migraines for seven of the women in the study, and reduced headache frequency by more than 50 percent for 15 women. Side effects of nausea and light- headedness occurred in six women. Herzog said these side effects can be prevented by increasing the dosage of the drug gradually over one to three weeks.

Persian Gulf War Symptoms Not Related to Exposure to Toxins; No Evidence of Neuromuscular Disorder Found

Exposure to toxins during the Persian Gulf War is not likely the cause of veteransí muscle pain and weakness and other symptoms, according to a recent study. The study found no evidence of neuromuscular disease distinct to the Persian Gulf War. The study was conducted at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, a major referral center for veterans with possible Persian Gulf-related illness.

Specialists evaluated 263 veterans from all branches of the military. Of those, 20 patients with severe muscle pain and weakness were referred to specialists in neuromuscular diseases for comprehensive evaluations which included muscle biopsies, nerve conduction studies and electromyograms (EMGs). Those evaluations showed no evidence of neuromuscular disease in the majority of the 20 patients, according to Anthony Amato, MD, a neurologist and neuromuscular specialist at Lackland and co-author of the study. Manual muscle strength testing was normal in every patient.

The researchers suspect that some veterans may be experiencing stress-induced disorders of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by chronic musculoskeletal pain and has similarities with chronic fatigue syndrome. The study says fibromyalgia may be a complication of post-traumatic stress disorder.

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The AAN is an association of more than 14,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals dedicated to improving patient care through education and research.