PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Pieter Kark, R. A.
AU  - Budelli, Maria M. R.
AU  - EM, Robin Wachsner
TI  - Double‐blind, triple‐crossover trial of low doses of oral physostigmine in inherited ataxias
AID  - 10.1212/WNL.31.3.288
DP  - 1981 Mar 01
TA  - Neurology
PG  - 288--288
VI  - 31
IP  - 3
4099  - http://n.neurology.org/content/31/3/288.short
4100  - http://n.neurology.org/content/31/3/288.full
SO  - Neurology1981 Mar 01; 31
AB  - The signs of ataxia in patients with inherited ataxias have been reported to improve after single injections or single oral doses of physostigmine. To study this effect, 21 patients with various inherited ataxias underwent a randomized, double-blind, triple-crossover trial of physostigmine and inert placebo taken orally in low doses for four sequential 3-month periods. Overall, the drug was more effective than the placebo (p <0.051. Thirteen patients had consistent, statistically significant responses to physostigmine; 8 did not (x2=46.9, p <0.0001). Only three patients improved on placebo. Responses did not correlate with age, sex, or severity of ataxia. Some aspects of ataxia improved in some patients, other aspects in other patients. Preliminary accounts of this work were previously reported.1-2