摘要:

AbstractMandel, P.:. The problems of memory in aging: Molecular aspects. Drug Dev. Res. 2: 431–432, 1982.It is generally accepted that molecular mechanisms are involved in induction of memory engrams. Thus one may expect that aging, which alters brain metabolism, will also alter memory. The free‐radical theory and the cross‐linking theory of aging seem to be the most tempting for speculating about memory alterations. The loss of neurons and of their circuits, which probably plays a fundamental role in memory alternation, may result from free‐radical effects that alter DNA, induce an increase of repair phenomena, and thus favor mistakes in the repair

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020503

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

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AbstractDr. Kanowski, S.: Nootropics: Myth or reality? Drug Dev. Res. 2:433–439, 1982.Through the ages there have been two strong human motivations: to remain on this earth as long as possible, and to maintain or regain one's youth and activities in one's old age. The fountain of youth is an ancient mythological version of this strong desire. The question arises, whether “nootropics” is a modern one. For a clear understanding it is necessary to distinguish betweengeroprophylacticaandgerotherapeutica. The extent to which promising models for the development of gerotherapeutica do exist and the value of currently existing gerotherapeutica will be points of discussion. Strong emphasis will be given to the difference between statistical significance and clinical relevance in the clinical evaluation of the l

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020504

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

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AbstractGiurgea, C.E.: The nootropic concept and its prospective implications. Drug. Dev. Res. 2:441–446, 1982.The nootropic concept emerged about 10 years ago essentially from the unusual pharmacology of piracetam, which later on was confirmed and extended to human pharmacoclinics and therapeutics. A nootropic drug is characterized by a direct functional activation of the higher integrative brain mechanisms that enhances cortical vigilance, a telencephalic functional selectivity, and a particular efficiency in restoring deficient higher nervous activity. In contradistinction to other psychotropic drugs, nootropics do not induce direct reticular, limbic, or other subcortical events. Little is known with regard to nootropic, neurochemical mechanisms of action except that they interact with factors that contribute to the neuronal membrane stability, and possibly with the brain 5‐HT. Main therapeutical indications seem to be in children with speech disorders, in the posttraumatic, and posthypoxic sequelae, in vertigo of central origin, and in geriatric, moderately impaired, possibly dysmnesic patients. Other drugs, such as pyritinol, meclofenoxate, and, to some extent, hydergine and vincamine, do show partially nootropic activities. The nootropic line of research is by now multifaceted to deepen the neurochemical and neurophysiologic comprehension of nootropics' mode of action; to make clearer their clinical differential profile; to enlarge the nootropic framework to some other existing drugs, clinically if not pharmacologically related to piracetam; and to find new, more potent, and possibly more selective nootropic agents. The general aim of nootropic research is to find new drugs capable of enhancing directly the efficiency of the cognitive, noetic activity of the brain, thus compensating various neuro‐psychologic deficits such as, but not exclusively, those related to

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020505

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractItil, T.M., G.N. Menon, M. Bozak, and A. Songar: The effects of oxiracetam, (ISF 2522) in patients with organic brain syndrome (a double‐blind controlled study with piracetam). Drug Dev. Res. 2:447–461, 1982.In a double‐blind controlled trial, the clinical effects of oxiracetam, a new “nootropic” compound, were investigated in a group of 60 elderly patients with organic mental disorders (DSM‐III). The starting dose of both oxiracetam and the control drug, piracetam, was 400 mg. The dosage was increased by 400 mg at weekly intervals up to 2,400 mg daily (sixth week). During the following 6 weeks the administered dose was fixed at 2,400 mg daily. Most of the important target symptoms improved significantly over time, both subjectively (i.e., rating scales) and objectively (i.e., psychological tests), after administration of either oxiracetam or piracetam. In comparison to piracetam, oxiracetam exhibited more statistically significant improvement in the memory factor, whereas piracetam showed more improvement than oxiracetam in factors of paranoid ideation and agitation. Both drugs were tolerable and did not elicit any significant side effects. It was postulated that “nootropics” may represent a new group of CNS effective compounds, and thus be a “second generation” of psychotropics, which have more direct effects on the central target organs than are presently found in the “cla

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020506

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractNicolaus, B.J.R.: Chemistry and pharmacology of nootropics. Drug Dev. Res. 2: 463–474, 1982.The paper discusses the chemistry and pharmacology of the nootropics, reviewing the new chemical entities to recently emerge and in particular the five‐membered heterocyclic lactams belonging to the pyrrolidinone class, such as piracetam and oxiracetam. These gammalactams are related to the folded conformation of GABA, which seems to play a role in the uptake mechanisms—that is, in the transport of GABA across the membrances into differnt nervous tissue elements. The classification of nootropics is discussed, taking into consideration the six main criteria recently suggested, which are: no direct vasoactivity, no change in basic rhythm of EEG activity, blood brain barrier passage, positive metabolic activity in humans and animals, low incidence of side‐effects, and objective demonstration of clinivicacy. A critical analysis is made of the various pharmacological and biochemical models employed to screen the nootropics, including a new approach based on the impaired learning rate of spontaneously hypertensive rats with cerebrovascular lesions. The activity of the new GABA‐derivative nootropic called oxiracetam is also described and compared with the forerunner of the class,

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020507

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractReisberg, B., S.H. Ferris, M.K. Schneck, J. Corwin, P. Mir, E. Friedman, K.A. Sherman, M. McCarthy, and R.T. Bartus: Piracetam in the treatment of cognitive impairment in the elderly. Drug Dev. Res. 2: 475–480, 1982.Piracetam (Nootropil, 2‐oxopyrrolidone acetamide) has been extensively investigated for the treatment of cognitive impairment. Initial studies on normal subjects and patients with mild or moderate cognitive decline have been somewhat encoruaging. Accordingly, we conducted a further evaluation of the effects of piracetam in the treatment of elderly outpatients 60 to 85 years of age with mild to moderate memory impairment consistent with a diagnosis of Primary Degenerative Dementia (PDD). In our first study, we examined the effects of piracetam in 20 patients. All patients received 7.2 g of piracetam and placebo for 4 weeks in accordance with a double‐blind, randomized treatment order, crossover design with 1‐week washout periods prior to each crossover period. Hence, the total study period for each patient was 10 weeks (1‐4‐1‐4). An analysis of 43 psychometric measures revealed significant improvement (P<0.05) in only three measures, all favoring the treatment condition. Recent findings support a rationale for examining the effects of piracetam in conjunction with cholinergic precursors in patients with cognitive decline. In our second study we conducted a 1‐week open trial of 1.6 g of piracetam t.i.d. in conjunction with 3 g of choline cholride t.i.d. in 15 patients. Four patients were rated as clinically improved. These “responders” were all subjects with moderate cognitive impairment. The responders showed much higher RBC choline levels than the nonresponders, both at baseline and during treatment. We conclude that the present evidence indicates that the effects of piracetam treatment alone in elderly outpatients with mild to moderate congnitive decline are subtle and not of proven clinical significance. However, studies of longer duration and of piracetam in combination with other agents may eventually show genui

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020508

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractZimmermann, P., E.W. Füfgeld, R. Seidel, and W. Nischwitz: Electrophysiological profile of neurotropics (hydergine, piracetam, pyritionol) in organic brain disease in the aged. Drug Dev. Res. 2:481–488, 1982.The effects of neurotropics on brainstem and cortical neuronal activity were compared between three groups of patients suffering from chronic brain disease (arteriosclerotic or senile dementia). Hydergine (6–9 mg/day), piracetam (1,200 mg/day), or pyritinol (600 mg/day) were administered orally for 8wk. EEG power spectral analysis, visual evoked potentials (VEP) and bink reflexes were performed after an initial wash‐out period of 2 wk, 2 and 8 wk of neurotropic medication, and a final wash‐out period of 2 wk. EEG power spectra following hyderine show a significant decrease in slow alpha activity (7.5–10 Hz) and after pyritinol in the slow theta range (3–5 Hz) in the occipital region. In the piracetam group the power of the fast theta (5–7.5 Hz) and slow alpha activity decrease in the occipital region of the dominant hemisphere. Only during pyritinol medication do these signs of cerebral activation correlate with an increase in the amplitude of P350of VEP and of the R2component of th

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020509

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractBuchsbaum, M.S., J. Cappelletti, R. Coppola, F. Regal, A. C. King, and D. P. van Kammen: New methods to determine the CNS effects of antigeriatric compounds: EEG topography and glucose use. Drug Dev. Res. 2:489–496, 1982.It has previously been possible to measure regional glucose use in the cerebral cortex in animals only with autoradiographic techniques. With the advent of position emission tomography (PET) using (18F‐2DG)18F‐2‐deoxyglucose, it is now possible to assess local glucose uptake in μmol/100 g tissue/min in normal volunteers or patients. The PET technique is complex and costly and cannot be repeated frequently because of the radiation dosage. However, local glucose use is closely tied to cerebral blood flow, and studies have related blood flow to EEG frequency measures. In this study, we have simultaneously investigated local glucose metabolism using18F‐2DG with PET and EEG frequency with 16‐lead topographic mapping in six normal controls. Subjects sat in an acoustically treated darkened room with eyes closed for 10 min prior to, and 30 min following injection of 3–5 mCi18F‐2DG. Following uptake, seven to eight horizontal scans parallel to the canthomeatal line were made. EEG recordings are made beginning 1 min after injection of the isotope and continuing for 30 min with 12 standard 10/20 system points on the left hemisphere and midline, and 4 additional points between existing posterior leads. Ten‐second EEG epochs are edited for artifacts and then analyzed by fast Fourier transform techniques. Using a cross‐sectional whole‐head atlas, a standardized, approximately equal‐area two‐dimensional representation of a lateral view of the brain was developed and 10/20 system scalp coordinates were projected onto it. EEG power estimates are interpolated for all points on this brain map. Using digital techniques, a 1‐cm‐thick cortical strip is peeled off each PET, slice and conformed to the lateral brain view, and values between strips are interpolated. The result is two simultaneously obtained electrophysiologic and metabolic lateral views of brain function displayed in gray‐scale values represented by dot density. In some subjects with eyes closed, alpha power is high in low glucose‐use regions, such as the occiput. Temporal regions appear low both in glucose use and in most power bands. Parallels between alpha distributi

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020510

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020511

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0272-4391    

DOI:10.1002/ddr.430020502

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1982

数据来源: WILEY