[Assessment of the efficacy of treatment with pimozide in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Introductory notes]

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of pimozide voltage-dependent calcium channel blocker on the progression of ALS patients as compared to the potentially neuroprotective drugs, selegiline and vitamin E. There were 44 patients (17 females and 27 males, aged from 30 to 80 years, mean age: 56.2 years) diagnosed as either definite or possible ALS. The study design was open randomised. Patients were treated 3-12 months; the daily dose of pimozide was 1 mg. The disease progression index was calculated as a difference between scores of Norris scale before and after treatment. Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease of the index of progression of the disease in pimozide treated patients as compared to the others. This effect was neither related to the progression of the disease nor advance of the disease at the beginning of treatment.