[Treatment and prevention of cognitive dysfunction in patients with arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis: results of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of cerebrolysin]

Abstract

Aim: To assess therapeutic and prophylactic effect of large-dose cerebrolysin (15 ml/day for 28 days) in hypertensive and atherosclerotic patients with cognitive disorders.

Material and methods: Cerebrolysin was given annually (15 ml/day for 28 days) for 2 years to 42 patients in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. The effect was stated by clinical status, neuropsychological and neurophysiological data.

Results: In mild disturbances of cognitive functions in patients with arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis courses of cerebrolysin with one-year interval produce stable improvement of subjective status, productivity of memory, attention and thinking which persist for at least a year after the course. The clinical data agree with positive trend in neurophysiological parameters of cognitive component of the response of evoked potentials P-300.

Conclusion: A course of 28-day annual treatment with cerebrolysin (15 ml/day) of patients with mild defects of cognitive functions stabilizes the process, leads to regression of cognitive disorders predicting vascular dementia.