Intravenous physostigmine treatment of Alzheimer's disease evaluated by psychometric testing, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement, and EEG

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1987;93(1):31-5. doi: 10.1007/BF02439583.

Abstract

Ten patients with Alzheimer's disease were treated with intravenous infusion of physostigmine for 2 h. The acute effects on cognitive function, regional cerebral blood flow, and EEG were compared to placebo (isotonic glucose) using a double-blind cross-over design. Physostigmine causes a limited improvement of psychomotor performance and EEG and an increase of blood flow in the most severely affected cortical areas, predominantly in an early phase of Alzheimer's disease.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy*
  • Brain / blood supply*
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Electroencephalography*
  • Evoked Potentials / drug effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • Physostigmine / therapeutic use*
  • Psychometrics
  • Regional Blood Flow / drug effects

Substances

  • Physostigmine