An Ergot Alkaloid Preparation (Hydergine) versus Papaverine in Treating Common Complaints of the Aged: Double‐Blind Study

Abstract

Sixty‐six geriatric patients with various “complaints of the aged” attributable to cerebral arteriosclerosis with cerebrovascular insufficiency received standard dosages of Hydergine (an ergot alkaloid preparation) or papaverine for twelve weeks in a double‐blind study. No adverse reactions occurred in patients taking either drug. Ratings of symptom severity, overall clinical condition, global therapeutic change, and mental status evaluations showed that the Hydergine group consistently improved more than the papaverine group. Hydergine was significantly superior to papaverine in relieving impaired mental alertness, confusion, irritability, hostility, emotional lability, depressive mood, and lack of motivation. Time‐response analyses indicated that the therapeutic effects of Hydergine were steadily progressive during the trial, whereas the effects of papaverine tended to become manifest only late in the 12‐week trial, if at all. The greatest benefits of Hydergine therapy seemed to be in the areas of intellectual function or cognition.

Co-Dergocrine Mesylate

“…::> 0.05 ;Bazo 1973;Nelson 1975;Rosen 1975;Winslow 1974), while in the 1980s it was compared with a variety of other agents in studies involving groups of 30 to 68 patients with age-related cognitive decline. Most of these studies are of historical interest only.…”

A Long-Term Study with Co-Dergocrine Mesylate (Hydergine®) in Healthy Pensioners

“…1971;Roubicek et al. 1972;Bazo, 1973;Nelson, 1975], as well as of the findings from gerontological long term studies, particularly those carried out at Duke University [Palmore, 1970[Palmore, . 1974.…”

An Ergot Alkaloid Preparation (Hydergine) in the Treatment of Dementia: Critical Review of the Clinical Literature

“…Although previous articles had described clinical trials with Hydergine or ergot alkaloids for the treatment of dementia, only since 1969 have comparable studies (1–12) fulfilling the inclusion criteria in Table 1 been available for scrutiny. All of these investigators used double‐blind Hydergine vs. placebo protocols, except Bazo (1) and Rosen (2) who used double‐blind, double‐placebo Hydergine vs. papaverine protocols. Of the 12 studies reviewed, only Rehman's (3) used a crossover design.…”

“…Of the 12 studies reviewed, only Rehman's (3) used a crossover design. Some of the studies used etiologic diagnoses with (1, 3–8) or without (9–11) reporting their diagnostic criteria; other studies (2, 12) reported only inclusion criteria without stating the etiologic diagnoses. Three studies (3–5) used standardized scales (23–24) for inclusion criteria.…”

“…Interest in the pharmacologic treatment of dementia has grown in recent years as the number of possible drug therapies and their uses have increased. One of these drugs, Hydergine (a preparation of three hydrogenated alkaloids of ergot), has undergone several clinical trials for assessment of its efficacy in the management of dementia (1–21). Because only one short summary of the use of Hydergine for cerebral arteriosclerosis (22) has been published, the present critical review was undertaken to provide the physician with a more complete overview of the clinical utility of the drug.…”