Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1974 Apr;37(4):422–426. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.37.4.422

Comparative trial of benzhexol, amantadine, and levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

J D Parkes 1,2, R C Baxter 1,2, C D Marsden 1,2, J E Rees 1,2
PMCID: PMC494673  PMID: 4838913

Abstract

Fourteen slightly disabled patients with Parkinsonism were treated separately with benzhexol, amantadine, and levodopa. Benzhexol and amantadine both gave a 15% reduction in functional disability and levodopa a 36% reduction. Benzhexol lessened the rigidity and improved the flexion of posture of Parkinson's disease, but had little or no effect on akinesia and tremor. Amantadine and levodopa caused improvement in all these symptoms. The combination of benzhexol and amantadine was as effective after four weeks of treatment as levodopa was after six months.

Full text

PDF
422

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Appleton D. B., Eadie M. J., Sutherland J. M. The continued use of amantadine hydrochloride in parkinsonism. Med J Aust. 1971 Oct 2;2(14):707–709. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1971.tb92500.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Calne D. B., Reid J. L., Vakil S. D., Rao S., Petrie A., Pallis C. A., Gawler J., Thomas P. K., Hilson A. Idiopathic Parkinsonism treated with an extracerebral decarboxylase inhibitor in combination with levodopa. Br Med J. 1971 Sep 25;3(5777):729–732. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5777.729. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Castaigne P., Laplane D., Dordain G. L'amantadine. Expérimentation clinique prolongée chez 50 parkinsoniens. Nouv Presse Med. 1972 Feb 19;1(8):533–536. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cotzias G. C., Papavasiliou P. S., Gellene R. Modification of Parkinsonism--chronic treatment with L-dopa. N Engl J Med. 1969 Feb 13;280(7):337–345. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196902132800701. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. DUVOISIN R. C. A REVIEW OF DRUG THERAPY IN PARKINSONISM. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1965 Aug;41:898–910. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Duvoisin R. C. Cholinergic-anticholinergic antagonism in parkinsonism. Arch Neurol. 1967 Aug;17(2):124–136. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1967.00470260014002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Farnebo L. O., Fuxe K., Goldstein M., Hamberger B., Ungerstedt U. Dopamine and noradrenaline releasing action of amantadine in the central and peripheral nervous system: a possible mode of action in Parkinson's disease. Eur J Pharmacol. 1971 Sep;16(1):27–38. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(71)90053-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hughes R. C., Polgar J. G., Weightman D., Walton J. N. Levodopa in Parkinsonism: the effects of withdrawal of anticholinergic drugs. Br Med J. 1971 May 29;2(5760):487–491. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5760.487. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Marsden C. D., Barry P. E., Parkes J. D., Zilkha K. J. Treatment of Parkinson's disease with levodopa combined with L-alpha-methyldopahydrazine, an inhibitor of extracerebral DOPA decarboxylase. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1973 Feb;36(1):10–14. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.36.1.10. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Parkes J. D., Zilkha K. J., Knill-Jones R. P., Clements P. J., Baxter R. L-dopa and amantadine hydrochloride in Parkinson's disease. Int Z Klin Pharmakol Ther Toxikol. 1971 Apr;4(3):356–360. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Pearce J., Rao N. S. Amantadine in Parkinsonism. Lancet. 1970 Nov 21;2(7682):1091–1092. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(70)90332-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Scatton B., Cheramy A., Besson M. J., Glowinski J. Increased synthesis and release of dopamine in the striatum of the rat after amantadine treatment. Eur J Pharmacol. 1970;13(1):131–133. doi: 10.1016/0014-2999(70)90194-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schwab R. S., England A. C., Jr Amantadine HCL (Symmetrel) and its relation to Levo-Dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Trans Am Neurol Assoc. 1969;94:85–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Stromberg U., Svensson T. H., Waldeck B. On the mode of action of amantadine. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1970 Dec;22(12):959–962. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1970.tb08487.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Yahr M. D., Duvoisin R. C. Drug therapy of parkinsonism. N Engl J Med. 1972 Jul 6;287(1):20–24. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197207062870105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES