Search

Objective: This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of combination therapy with amantadine and clonidine against clonidine alone on subjective opioid withdrawal symptoms in patients treated with buprenorphine. Methods and Materials: Patients were recruited from outpatient addiction treatment centers for this double-blind, randomized control trial. They were divided into two groups randomly assigned to receive either clonidine (0.15–0.3 mg/day) or clonidine with amantadine (100–200 mg/day). We assessed withdrawal symptoms with the Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS) on the first day of admission and 3, 7, 14, and 21 days afterward. Results: Forty-three patients completed the trial in each group. The impact of adding-on amantadine on the mean SOWS compared to control was significant (p < .001) at any time of the study period. However, there were no significant differences in mean SOWS within groups during follow-up (p > .05). Also, there were no significant differences in mean SOWS between the two groups during follow-up time (day 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st) (p > .05). Conclusion: Amantadine and clonidine combined treatment would result in fewer opioid withdrawal symptoms than clonidine alone, with a decrease commencing on the third day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease is amantadine. We are the first to perform a comprehensive study based on various glycation and oxidation factors, determining the impact of amantadine on protein glycoxidation. Sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose) and aldehydes (glyoxal, methylglyoxal) were used as glycation agents, and chloramine T was used as an oxidant. Glycoxidation biomarkers in albumin treated with amantadine were generally not different from the control group (glycation/oxidation factors), indicating that the drug did not affect oxidation and glycation processes. Molecular docking analysis did not reveal strong binding sites of amantadine on the bovine serum albumin structure. Although amantadine poorly scavenged hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide, it had significantly lower antioxidant and antiglycation effect than all protein oxidation and glycation inhibitors. In some cases, amantadine even demonstrated glycoxidant, proglycation, and prooxidant properties. In summary, amantadine exhibited weak antioxidant properties and a lack of antiglycation activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While systematic reviews have examined medication effectiveness for post-traumatic headache (PTH), they have not assessed tolerability. To conduct a scoping review to characterize the adverse effects of pharmacotherapy for PTH. CINAHL, CMA Infobase, Cochrane Library, Embase, Epistemonikos, MEDLINE, PEDro, PsycInfo, Scopus, SportDiscus, TRIP and the University of York Center for Reviews and Dissemination were searched. Studies meeting these criteria were included 1) English language, 2) involved humans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), 3) a medication for PTH was administered and 4) reported tolerability outcomes. Author(s), publication year, country of origin, study design, sample demographics, medication type, comparator, dose, treatment duration, adverse effect type and rate, discontinuation rate, and effectiveness outcomes were extracted. The search yielded 2941 records; 11 studies were included (n = 324 subjects). All subjects had mild TBI except for one with moderate TBI. The following therapies were examined 1) abortive (dihydroergotamine N = 1; metoclopramide N = 1; indomethacin N = 3), 2) prophylactic (divalproex sodium N = 1; amantadine N = 1; erenumab N = 2; amitriptyline N = 2). No serious adverse effects occurred. Observed adverse effects overlap with common symptoms of TBI. The unique needs of people with TBI must be considered when instituting pharmacotherapy. More studies specifically evaluating medication tolerability in PTH are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aminoadamantanes amantadine and memantine are well known. They mainly act as N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists. The antiviral drug amantadine moderately ameliorates impaired motor behavior in patients with Parkinson's disease. Memantine provides beneficial effects on memory function in patients with advanced Alzheimer's disease already treated with acetylcholine esterase inhibitors. Both compounds counteract impaired monoamine neurotransmission with associated symptoms, such as depression. They improve vigilance, lack of attention and concentration, fatigue syndromes according to clinical findings in patients with chronic neurodegenerative processes. Their extrasynaptic N-methyl-D-Aspartate receptor blockade weakens a prolonged influx of Ca2+ ions as the main responsible components of neuronal excitotoxicity. This causes neuronal dying and associated functional deficits. We suggest aminoadamantanes as future therapies for amelioration of short- and long-term consequences of a COVID 19 infection. Particularly the extended-release amantadine formulations will be suitable. They showed better clinical efficacy compared with the conventional available compounds. Amantadine may particularly be suitable for amelioration of fatigue or chronic exhaustion, memantine for improvement of cognitive deficits. Clinical research in patients, who are affected by the short- and long-term consequences of a COVID 19 infection, is warranted to confirm these still hypothetical putative beneficial effects of aminoadamantanes. The drugs amantadine and memantine are known as aminoadamantanes. Amantadine improves motor skills in patients with Parkinson's disease. It also reduces fatigue in individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis. Memantine improves memory dysfunction linked to Alzheimer's disease. Aminoadamantanes affect communication between nerve cells by supporting neurotransmission of monoamines. Clinical studies have found that these drugs benefit patients with chronic neurodegenerative diseases, who have depression, fatigue, loss of attention or concentration deficits. These brain function problems may also appear to some extent due to COVID-19 infection. We suggest that aminoadamantanes could improve these problems in COVID-19 patients in both the short and long term. Clinical research is needed to confirm this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amantadine is one of the most prescribed antiviral medications. Considering its abuse is life-threatening, monitoring amantadine residues is urgently needed. This study designed a dipstick assay based on lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) platforms with an indicator range of 50–200 ng/mL. The dipstick consists of four coloured test lines that detect the concentration of amantadine semi-quantitatively in the range of 0–200 ng/mL. The amantadine concentration was categorised as 0–50, 50–100, 100–200, or > 200 ng/mL, depending on the response of the test lines. Furthermore, we measured the amantadine residues in commercial meat samples by this LFIA. The results were highly agreeable with those determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The LFIA shows potential for routine monitoring of amantadine in meat products, and the results of this study provide insight into the development of new LFIA devices for use in agricultural industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bispecific monoclonal antibody (BsMAb) that can simultaneously recognize aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and amantadine (AMD) was prepared. Quantum dot nanobead immunochromatographic assay (QB-ICA) based on the BsMAb was developed for the simultaneous detection of AFB1 and AMD in four feed samples (suckling pig feed, piglet feed, sow feed, and compound feed for laying ducks). Under optimal experimental conditions, the LOD values of QB-ICA for AFB1 in four feed samples were 0.188, 0.221, 0.233, and 0.306 μg/kg, respectively. The LOD values of QB-ICA for AMD in the same feed samples were 0.125, 0.187, 0.076, and 0.191 μg/kg, respectively. The recovery rates of QB-ICA for AFB1 and AMD ranged from 91.55% to 150.87% and from 91.62% to 138.42%, respectively. The variation coefficients were all less than 15%. The proposed QB-ICA had high reliability and specificity for the simultaneous detection of AFB1 and AMD, providing a platform for simultaneous detection of hazardous substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To review the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists in managing post-TBI cognitive deficits. A search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane was conducted on Jan 12, 2021 without publication date or language restriction. Forty-seven studies were included, involving 20 (42.6%) randomized controlled trials. Four (8.5%) studies had a low risk of bias (RoB), while 34 (72.3%) had unclear and nine (19.2%) had high RoB. Six NMDAR antagonists had been investigated: amantadine (n = 32), memantine (n = 4), magnesium (n = 4), traxoprodil (n = 3), selfotel (n = 2), and dextromethorphan (n = 2). Although some benefits were observed, there are still some concerns regarding the efficacy and safety of NMDAR antagonists in improving post-TBI cognitive deficits. Further research is required to examine whether (i) these agents, notably amantadine, could accelerate cognitive improvement and shorten the hospital stay, (ii) these agents affect different cognitive domains/subdomains in the same direction, (iii) an optimal therapeutic time window exists, (iv) a member of this drug class can be proved to be effective without interfering in non-excitotoxic actions of glutamate, (v) they can be more effective as part of combination therapies or in particular subgroups of patients with TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the efficacy of amantadine as a treatment for apathy after brain injury are scarce and of low quality. We examined the efficacy and safety of amantadine for treatment of apathy in two individuals with brain injury. Two double-blind, randomized, single-case experimental (baseline-amantadine-placebo-withdrawal) design (SCED) studies. Apathy measures included a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) apathy subscale and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults "Initiate" subscale. Safety measures included a rating scale of possible side effects of amantadine and physical examinations. No difference in apathy symptoms (VAS) between baseline and amantadine phase was found in case 1 (NAP = 0.55). Surprisingly, in case 2, apathy symptoms deteriorated from baseline to amantadine phase (NAP = 0.28, 90% CI = −0.69 to −0.20) and improved from amantadine to placebo phase (NAP = 0.92, 90% CI = 0.60–1.00). This improvement was also found on the NPI apathy subscale. Side effects of amantadine were observed in case 2. In this SCED study, amantadine did not improve apathy symptoms in two individuals with brain injury. However, this study shows that side effects of amantadine can occur which lead to a significant decrease in well-being. More high quality studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome these issues, we now report the preparation of B 1 b in two steps (Scheme 2) via I N i -(1-adamantyl)formamide ( B 6 b ) from B 3a b and formamide. The synthesis of B 6 b from B 3a b was successfully accomplished in one step via the reaction between B 3a b and formamide and does not require oleum or fuming nitric acid. Amantadine hydrochloride ( B 1 b , Scheme 1) is an important antiviral and anti-Parkinson drug.[[1], [3], [5]] However, previous methods for its preparation,[[4], [6], [8], [10], [12], [14], [16], [18], [20], [22], [24], [26], [28], [30], [32]] in yields as high as 50-58%,[4],[6],[22] have had safety and environmental concerns. In the isolation of the amantadine free base B 5 b from the reaction mixture and subsequent conversion of B 5 b into B 1 b , ether was not used as a solvent. [Extracted from the article]

Amantadine (AMD) is harmful to human health and has been forbidden as an antiviral drug in the livestock and poultry breeding. Thus, a rapid and sensitive detection method for AMD should be established. In this research, we have designed three kinds of haptens and then prepared three kinds of immunogens and coating antigens. A highly sensitive colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (CG-ICA) for AMD detection by using heterologous coating antigen and mAb prepared with immunogen adding five carbons linker has been established. Under optimal conditions, the cut-off value of the CG-ICA was 2.5 ng/mL by naked eyes. The CG-ICA presented a good signal response to AMD in the concentration range of 0.1–2.5 ng/mL with low LOD at 0.077 ng/mL. These results indicated that the immunogen with carbon linker may obtain high-affinity antibody while the heterologous coating antigen may improve the sensitivity of ICA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a homologous multi-wavelength fluorescence polarization immunoassays (MWFPIA) for rapid determination of amantadine (AMD) and ribavirin (RVB) simultaneously was established. The MWFPIA could quantify AMD and RVB concentration simultaneously in 1 min. After optimisation, long-wavelength tracers AEDA-AF647 with monoclonal antibody (Mab) 1A12 and RVB-CP-EDF with polyclonal antibody (Pab) G412 were chosen for the development of MWFPIA. The limit of detections (LODs) of AMD and RVB were 1.7 and 1.0 μg/kg in chickens, and 17.6 and 10.4 μg/L in human serum, respectively. Recoveries of AMD and RVB in chickens were 61.2–94.9% and 87.3–90.2%, respectively with coefficient of variations (CVs) lower than 16.7%. For human serum, recoveries were 60.2–84.3% and 63.5–74.2% for AMD and RVB, respectively, and CVs was lower than 15.3%. The results indicated that the MWFPIA could be used for the monitoring of antiviral drugs with short analysis time, great accuracy and high throughput. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study examined clinical parameters associated with amantadine treatment of psychiatric symptoms in children. A total of 297 pediatric patients were prescribed amantadine and met study criteria to assess clinical responses and medication outcomes. More than 62% of patients experienced clinically significant symptom control and 83% achieved at least maintenance symptom control, while 11% discontinued amantadine for nonresponse and 6% stopped amantadine because of side effects. Among patients previously receiving other psychotropic medication, 42% and 28% of patients fully discontinued second- or third-generation antipsychotics or antidepressants, respectively. Patients responsive to amantadine who discontinued or reduced antipsychotic dose experienced a significant reduction in body mass index. Amantadine appears be an efficacious and safe alternative for treatment of a broad set of psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents. Specifically, it may serve as an effective adjunct to stimulants for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder–related symptoms and appears to be a safer alternative to second- or third-generation antipsychotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of dopamine agonist (DA) in restoring consciousness and cognition in recovery phase following acquired brain injury (ABI) is established (1−5). The role in later recovery is less well defined. We report a single case experimental design (SCED) trial of amantadine demonstrating improvement in function, six years following ABI. A scoring system based on established abilities in personal care and interaction was used to identify tasks with component actions, 34 actions in total, each ranked in terms of quality of response to a request or prompt. Actions were scored on maintenance dose amantadine; on withdrawal; and after reintroduction. Daytime sleep duration was also recorded. At 3rd and 5th weeks post withdrawal, deterioration was noted in 27 of 34 graded activities. At 3rd and 5th weeks following reintroduction, all but 3 grades returned to baseline or better. Afternoon sleep duration increased from 35 to 80 minutes during withdrawal period returning towards baseline on amantadine resumption. We believe this provides evidence for benefit of amantadine in sustaining function following ABI. The SCED model used provides a template for others to use to identify comparable change in similar trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, molecularly imprinted microspheres of a type capable of recognising amantadine and rimantadine were first synthesised, and three fluorescent tracers based on dansyl chloride, fluorescein isothiocyanate and 5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine were also synthesised. These reagents were used to develop and optimise a direct competitive fluorescence method on conventional 96-well microplate for detection of the two analytes. Results showed that this method achieved simple operation procedure, rapid assay process (30 min), high sensitivity (limits of detection 0.04–0.05 ng mL−1) and acceptable recycle performance (five times). After optimisation of several parameters, this method was used to detect amantadine and rimantadine in chicken muscle samples. Their recoveries from standards fortified blank samples were in the range of 62.3–93.7%. The analysis results for some real chicken samples were consistent with a confirmatory LC-MS/MS method. Therefore, this method could be used as a rapid, simple and accurate tool for routine screening the residues of amantadine and rimantadine in a large number of chicken muscle samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amantadine is currently recommended for use in patients of post-traumatic brain injury with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS). However, the application of amantadine in UWS after cerebral hemorrhage has only been rarely reported. This allows for a further exploration of the role of amantadine in the treatment of UWS resulting from a severe cerebral hemorrhage. We observed the changes of seven patients with UWS of intracerebral hemorrhage after taking amantadine. We also carried out a detailed neurological examination of the patient with disorders of consciousness to include or exclude subjects for the study. CRS-R score was used to evaluate the neurological recovery. An improvement in consciousness was observed within 3–6 days after the start of amantadine administration in all seven cases (n = 7/7; 100%). Five patients recovered conscious and left aphasia, hemiplegia and other sequelae, and two patients recovered from UWS to minimally conscious state (MCS). In this study, amantadine administration showed substantial positive effects on recovery following severe cerebral hemorrhage. We recommend further randomized controlled studies to determine the efficacy of amantadine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comprehensive review discusses clinical studies of patients following brain injuries (traumatic, acquired, or stroke), who have been treated with amantadine or memantine. Both amantadine and memantine are commonly used in the acute rehabilitation setting following brain injuries, despite their lack of FDA-approval for neuro-recovery. Given the broad utilization of such agents, there is a need to review the evidence supporting this common off-label prescribing. The purpose of this review is to describe the mechanisms of action for memantine and amantadine, as well as to complete a comprehensive review of the clinical uses of these agents. We included 119 original, clinical research articles from NCBI Medline, published before 2019. We focused on the domains of neuroplasticity, functional recovery, motor recovery, arousal, fatigue, insomnia, behavior, agitation, and cognition. Most of the existing research supporting the use of amantadine and memantine in recovery from brain injuries was done in very small populations, limiting the significance of conclusions. While most studies are positive; small effect sizes are usually reported, or populations are subject to bias. Furthermore, evidence is so limited that this review includes research regarding both acute and chronic acquired brain injury populations. Fortunately, reported short-term side effects generally are modest, and stop soon after amantadine/memantine is discontinued. However, responses are inconsistent, and the phenotype of responders remains elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To systematically review literature on efficacy of amantadine on behavior (irritability/aggression/agitation, emotional lability, apathy, impairment of executive functioning), participation, quality-of-life (QoL), and safety, in patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). Amantadine is widely used clinically, so comprehensive information on efficacy, participation, QoL and safety is relevant. Methods: We used PRISMA Guidelines. We searched PubMed/EMBASE/CINAHL (last search 28–8-2018) Two independent reviewers performed selection and data-extraction. Quality of studies was assessed, using CONSORT and Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (QATFQS). Results: Eleven out of 500 studies were included. Of five RCTs, two reported significant effects on irritability/aggression, and one no effect. One RCT on cognition no effect. One prospective cohort study showed a significant effect on executive functioning. One retrospective study was inconclusive. One single-case experimental design (SCED) study reported significant effect on apathy and three case-reports indicated effects on behavior. QoL and societal participation were not measured. No safety issues emerged. Conclusion: Amantadine may be efficacious on irritability and aggression after ABI. Amantadine is a safe drug in the presence of adequate creatinine clearance. Future studies should use designs, suitable for the heterogeneous ABI population, like randomized SCEDs, and should include the effect on societal participation and QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complexes 1-3, C34H36X4CuN2O2 (X = Cl, Br, I), were synthesized with copper chloride dihydrate and three new Schiff base ligands derived from amantadine and 3,5-dihalosalicylaldehydes. They were characterized by IR, UV–VIS, elemental analysis, molar conductance, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that 1 and 2 crystallize in the triclinic system, Pī space group. Each asymmetric unit consists of one copper(II) ion, two corresponding deprotonated Schiff base ligands and one lattice dichloromethane molecule. 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, P21/n space group. Each asymmetric unit consists of one copper(II) ion and two deprotonated iodo- Schiff base ligands. The tetra-coordination of the central copper(II) ion in 1-3 is constructed by two nitrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms from the corresponding Schiff base ligands, forming a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Electrochemical properties of the complexes were determined by cyclic voltammetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify candidate transcriptional biomarkers so as to provide a new method for monitoring amantadine residues during the feeding of broiler chicken. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and bioinformatic analyses were conducted to examine the transcriptomic changes and screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in broiler chicken breast muscle and liver tissues treated with amantadine. The results indicated that a total of 170 DEGs were screened from broiler chicken breast muscle tissues after amantadine was fed. Among the genes, 120 were up-regulated and 50 were down-regulated. The gene ontology (GO) terms for these genes mainly existed in the areas of hydrolase activity, immune reaction and chemokine activity. The significantly enriched pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia for Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were in phagosomes, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), lysosomes and extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors. From the broiler chicken liver tissues, 172 DEGs were screened, among which 116 were up-regulated and 56 were down-regulated. The GO terms of these DEGs were related to functions such as catalytic activities, metabolic activities, oxidation-reduction activities, immune reactions and cofactor binding. The significantly enriched KEGG pathways existed in metabolism, CAM, ECM receptor reaction and drug metabolism-cytochrome P450. According to the fold-change (FC), significance levels, functional annotations and possible biological processes of DEGs, 11 and 9 candidate DEGs related to amantadine treatment were further screened from broiler chicken breast muscle and liver tissues, respectively. In addition, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) verification showed exactly concordant results with the RNA-seq data. Principal components analysis (PCA) on the qRT-PCR data resulted in the separation of treated samples from the control samples in both tissues. The results provided a basis for identification of transcriptional biomarkers for detecting amantadine residues in broiler chicken breast muscle and liver tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amantadine (AMA) is an illegally used antiviral drug in the poultry industry, it is necessary to establish a fast, accurate and time-saving detection method for poultry food. The antibody-based immunoassay can achieve fast and accurate requirements. We developed a recombinant antibody-based specificity immunoassay for AMA. In the recombinant antibody, the heavy chain variable region (VH) is connected covalently with the light chain variable region (VL) by the artificial linker. Here, two recombinant antibodies’ single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and scFv-dHLX were constructed and functionally expressed in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. The helix-turn-helix peptide was utilized to dimerize VH and VL similar to the IgG counterpart. The ScFv-dHLX protein showed a higher binding ability and affinity resulting in improvement of in vitro affinity activity over its corresponding scFv. Our results not only indicated scFv-dHLX as an alternative for scFv in analytical application, but also offered a novel and efficient hetero-dimerization pattern of VH and VL leading to enhanced affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persistent fatigue is a common symptom of methamphetamine withdrawal. It disrupts the individual’s social and professional lives as well as increasing the risk of relapse. This study aimed to assess the effects of amantadine in the treatment of persistent fatigue in methamphetamine-abstained individuals.Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 42 methamphetamine-abstained individuals who sought treatment for persistent fatigue. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups, receiving either amantadine 100 mg/day or placebo for 4 weeks. Treatment response was evaluated using Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS), recorded at the beginning and end of trial.Results: A substantial reduction in both fatigue scales was found in the amantadine group, while there was no significant change in the placebo group. Fatigue reduction in the amantadine and placebo groups was, respectively, 28% versus 6% (p < 0.001) using the FSS and 24.3% and 4.5% (p < 0.001) using the CFS. In addition, both scales showed that the rate of fatigue recovery was significantly higher in the amantadine versus placebo group (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Persistent fatigue in methamphetamine-abstained individuals was significantly reduced, and higher rate of fatigue recovery achieved, from daily administration of 100 mg amantadine for 4 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Amantadine, as a dopamine receptor agonist, may stimulate and help the recovery of the nervous system after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: We performed this study as a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial with target population including all patients with TBI who scored nine or lower on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and April 2014. The protocol included administration of the drug (placebo or amantadine) for 6 weeks and patient evaluation using the GCS and FOUR score on the first, third and seventh days after the drug was started. After 6 months from starting study drug, the patients were evaluated on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Glasgow Outcome Study, Disability Rating Scale and Karnofsky Performance Scale. Results: We included 40 patients in the study. The mean age of the patients was 36.77 ± 18.21. As an only important finding, the amantadine group registered an important rise between the first and the seventh day of study drug (∆GCS7-GCS1) with p-value = 0.044. Conclusion: Based on our findings during the first week and the 6 months (since starting drug) follow-ups, prescribing amantadine did not lead to reportable effects on the patients’ level of consciousness, memory, disability, cognition, mortality and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytotoxicity evaluation of hemocytes (lysosomal membrane stability [LMS] assay) fromMytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, exposed to a sublethal dose (100 μg/L) of two size of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs: <50 nm and <100 nm) – prior to and after inhibition of potential uptake pathways (i.e., clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis) within different times of exposure (3, 6, 12 h) – showed that there was a significant cytotoxic effect on immune cells of mussels exposed for different times to either AgNP size (p < 0.01); the greater effect was with the smaller size. However, hemocytes seemed more sensitive to the larger AgNP after clathrin-mediated endocytosis was blocked (p < 0.01); this was not so with inhibition of caveolae-mediated endocytosis. Dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) did not impart a carrier-mediated effect despite an enhanced cytotoxicity when DMSO was present with AgNP. From these results, it is concluded that the immunotoxicity of AgNP in mussels was size-dependent as well as length of exposure-dependent. It was also clear that nanoparticles (NP) internalization mechanisms were a major factor underlying any toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To conduct a systematic review examining the effectiveness of pharmacological management of agitation among individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). Data sources: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched for all relevant articles published in English from 1980 to January 2016. Study selection: Studies were included for analysis all participants had moderate to severe ABI,n ≥ 3, and a pharmacological intervention was provided for the treatment of agitation and its effectiveness was assessed. Data extraction: Data extracted included participant demographics, inclusion and exclusion criteria, study design, outcome measure(s), and results. Study quality was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database assessment scale for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A level of evidence was assigned to each intervention using a modified Sackett scale. Data synthesis: Among 165 retrieved studies, 19 met inclusion criteria. The included studies consisted of 6 RCTs and 13 observational studies. Antipsychotic medications were studied predominately (n = 6), followed by anticonvulsants (n = 4) and dopaminergic (n = 4), antidepressants (n = 3), and beta-blockers (n = 2). Dopaminergic medications, specifically amantadine, had the highest level of evidence (Level 1a). The antipsychotic lithium carbonate was shown to be effective but was not recommended for use due to high risk of neurotoxicity. Conclusions: Studies consistently demonstrated that pharmacological treatment was effective in reducing agitation post ABI; however, there was insufficient information to develop a conclusion due to the limited number of studies and overall weakness of evidence for each individual medication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mimic the function of metallohydrolase, [M(bqad)Cl2] (M = Zn(II) (1), Co(II) (2), where bqad = N,N′-bis(2-quinolinylmethyl)amantadine), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, electronic absorption, IR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The structural analysis indicated that metal ions in1and2were coordinated by three nitrogens from bqad and two chlorides, resulting in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Kinetic experiments for hydrolytic cleavage ofp-nitrophenyl acetate (pNA) catalyzed by1and2were performed at pH 7.50–10.00 and 298 K. The second-order rate constants (kobs) increased exponentially with variation of pH values. The Co(II) complex exhibited potent catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) method and a gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic strip were developed to detect amantadine (AM) in foods. A novel AM hapten was prepared, and a sensitive monoclonal antibody against AM was developed. The optimum ic-ELISA conditions included a pH of 7.4 and an ionic strength of 1.6% with no organic solvents. The half-inhibition concentration (IC50) value of ic-ELISA was 1.92 ng/ml, with a limit of detection of 0.62 ng/ml. The immunochromatographic test strip method had a visual cut-off value at 5 μg/kg. Chicken samples were spiked with three concentrations of AM (1, 2, and 5 μg/kg) and analysed by ic-ELISA. Good recoveries were obtained (92.3% at 1 μg/kg AM, 116.1% at 2 μg/kg AM, and 91.8% at 5 μg/kg AM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine whether amantadine (AMA), as a low-affinity noncompetitiveN-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, is able to improve cognitive deficits caused by chronic stress in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, control + AMA, stress and stress + AMA groups. The chronic stress model combined chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) with isolated feeding. Animals were exposed to CUS continued for 21 days. AMA (25 mg/kg) was administrated p.o. for 20 days from the 4th day of CUS to the 23rd. Weight and sucrose consumption were measured during model establishing period. Spatial memory was evaluated using the Morris water maze (MWM) test. Following MWM testing, both long-term potentiation (LTP) and depotentiation were recorded in the hippocampal CA1 region. NR2B and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) proteins were measured by Western-blot analysis. AMA increased weight and sucrose consumption of stressed rats. Spatial memory and reversal learning in stressed rats were impaired relative to controls, whereas AMA significantly attenuated cognitive impairment. AMA also mitigated the chronic stress-induced impairment of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, in which both the LTP and depotentiation were significantly inhibited in stressed rats. Moreover, AMA enhanced the expression of hippocampal NR2B and PSD-95 in stressed rats. The data suggest that AMA may be an effective therapeutic agent for depression-like symptoms and associated cognitive disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Persistent or intractable hiccups are not uncommon at the end of life, occurring in approximately 4% to 9% of patients, and can cause considerable suffering, including difficulties in eating, drinking, and speaking, insomnia, pain, fatigue, and depression. In palliative practice, the etiology of hiccups is often either unknown or untreatable, and empirical pharmacologic treatment is the norm. Unfortunately, many of the agents reported as effective for hiccups can cause undesirable sedation. The authors describe a patient with end-stage vascular dementia and a 4-year history of idiopathic intractable hiccups who responded dramatically to amantadine, a nonsedating dopamine agonist. The role of dopamine in hiccups is somewhat ambiguous and likely not central to their cause or treatment. Amantadine may be a reasonable option for patients with distressing hiccups who cannot tolerate a sedating agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with 10-methyl-acridone-2-sulfonyl chloride (MASC) as pre-column fluorescence labeling reagent was developed for the determination of amantadine in microdialysis samples from rat plasma. The HPLC sensitivity of amantadine was greatly enhanced by introducing MASC with large conjugated structure and excellent fluorescence property into the amantadine molecule. The limit of detection was 6.8 ng mL−1and only 30 μL sample was needed for the pharmacokinetic study. The linearity range was 25–500 ng mL−1with correlation coefficients of 0.9989. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of amantadine in microdialysis samples from rat plasma. It also shows powerful potential for the pharmacokinetic study of compounds with amino group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms involved in the uptake of Ag NPs, and NPs in general, have been long debated within nano-ecotoxicology. In vitro studies provide evidence of the different available uptake pathways, but in vivo demonstrations are lacking. In this study, pharmacological inhibitors were employed to block specific uptake pathways that have been implicated in the transport of metal NPs and aqueous metal forms; phenamil (inhibits Na+ channel), bafilomycin A1 (H+ proton pump), amantadine (clathrin-mediated endocytosis), nystatin (caveolae-mediated endocytosis) and phenylarsine oxide (PAO, macropinocytosis). Peringia ulvae (snails) were exposed to 150 µg Ag L−1 added as citrate capped Ag NPs or aqueous Ag (AgNO3) in combination with inhibitor treatment (determined by preliminary studies). Reductions in accumulated tissue burdens caused by the inhibitors were compared to control exposures (i.e. no inhibition) after 6 and 24 h. No inhibitor treatment completely eliminated the uptake of Ag in either aqueous or NP form, but all inhibitor treatments, except phenamil, significantly reduced the uptake of Ag presented as Ag NPs. Clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis appear to be mechanisms exploited by Ag NPs, with the latter pathway only active at 24 h. Inhibition of the H+ proton pump showed that a portion of Ag NP uptake is achieved as aqueous Ag and is explained by the dissolution of the particles (∼25% in 24 h). This in vivo study demonstrates that uptake of Ag from Ag NPs is achieved by multiple pathways and that these pathways are simultaneously active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim was to test the effect of amantadine, an NMDA antagonist, on tourniquet induced cardiovascular responses under general anesthesia. Method In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study; thirty adult male patients with ASA physical status I or II, aged 18–50 years underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with a tourniquet under general anesthesia, were divided to receive either oral amantadine 200 mg capsule in the evening before surgery and 200 mg capsule 60 min before surgery (group A) or placebo capsules (group P). Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were recorded (before induction of anesthesia, every 15 min after tourniquet inflation, before tourniquet deflation, and 10 min after tourniquet deflation). Incidence of tourniquet-induced hypertension, and postoperative tramadol consumption were also recorded. Results Systolic and diastolic pressures significantly increased in both groups compared to baseline values ( P < 0.05) at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 min after tourniquet inflation, and before tourniquet deflation with significantly lesser increase with amantadine compared to placebo at 45, 60, and 75 min after tourniquet inflation ( P < 0.05). Heart rate significantly increased at 45, 60, and 75 min after tourniquet inflation in both groups compared to baseline values ( P < 0.05) with significantly lesser increase with amantadine compared to placebo ( P < 0.05). Development of tourniquet induced hypertension was less with amantadine (5 out of 15) than with placebo (8 out of 15).The total tramadol consumed during the first 24 h postoperative was significantly less with amantadine compared to placebo ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Preoperative oral amantadine reduced tourniquet induced hypertension and postoperative analgesic requirements in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery under general anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levodopa remains the most potent drug to treat motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD); however, motor fluctuations and levodopa-induced dyskinesia that occur with long-term use restrict some of its therapeutic value. Despite these limitations, the medical treatment of PD strives for continuous relief of symptoms using different strategies throughout the course of the illness: increasing the half-life of levodopa, using 'levodopa-sparing agents' and adding non-dopaminergic drugs. New options to 'improve' delivery of levodopa are under investigation, including long-acting levodopa, nasal inhalation and continuous subcutaneous or intrajejunal administration of levodopa. Long-acting dopamine agonists were recently developed and are undergoing further comparative studies to investigate potential superiority over the immediate-release formulations. Non-dopaminergic drugs acting on adenosine receptors, cholinergic, adrenergic, serotoninergic and glutamatergic pathways are newly developed and many are being evaluated in Phase II and Phase III trials. This article focuses on promising novel therapeutic approaches for the management of PD motor symptoms and motor complications. We will provide an update since 2011 on new formulations of current drugs, new drugs with promising results in Phase II and Phase III clinical trials, old drugs with new possibilities and some new potential strategies that are currently in Phase I and II of development (study start date may precede 2011 but are included as study is still ongoing or full data have not yet been published). Negative Phase II and Phase III clinical trials published since 2011 will also be briefly mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using molecular simulations, we study the adsorption and diffusion of an antiparkinsonian drug known as amantadine (or 1-aminoadamantane) in different single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNs) with diameters ranging from 10.9 to 27.1 Å. First, we compute the adsorption isotherm for each SWCN atusing the recently developed expanded Wang–Landau (EWL) simulations. This method allows for a direct computation of the grand canonical partition function of the system studied which, in turn, gives access to thermodynamics properties important for the adsorption process. The EWL approach is especially well suited to study the adsorption of large molecules in nanoporous materials since it combines the advantages of the expanded ensemble, in which the insertion and deletion of molecules is divided into a large number of steps, and of the Wang–Landau sampling scheme, which ensures uniform sampling of the number of molecules adsorbed in the porous material. Second, to characterise transport in these systems, we use molecular dynamics simulations to determine how self-diffusivity varies with the loading in amantadine. This allows us to shed light on the interplay between structure and transport in the nanoconfined fluid. In particular, we identify a sharp change in the rate at which the self-diffusivity decreases with the loading and relate it to a transition of the confined fluid from a single cylindrical layer to a bilayer, when additional adamantine molecules are adsorbed in the central region of the pore. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By condensation of amantadine and 4-methoxysalicylaldehyde a new Schiff baseHLwas synthesized. A mixture ofHLand zinc(II) chloride in an alcoholic medium leads to [Zn(HL)2Cl2] (1). However, the same reactants gave another different complex (ZnL2) (2) in the presence of NaOH. The two complexes were characterized by IR,1H NMR, elemental analysis, molar conductance, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that complex1crystallizes in the triclinic system,P? space group; each asymmetric unit consists of one zinc(II), twoHL, and two chlorides. The tetra coordination of central zinc is attained by two chlorides and two oxygens from the Schiff base, forming a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Complex2crystallizes in the monoclinic system,P21/cspace group; each asymmetric unit consists of one zinc(II) and twoL. The tetra coordination of central zinc is attained by two nitrogens and two oxygens from the Schiff base, forming a distorted tetrahedral geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a slowly ongoing neuronal death. This alters dopaminergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission and causes a wide variety of motor and non-motor features. Safinamide has a unique pharmacological profile, which combines modulation of dopamine metabolism by reversible, highly specific monoamine oxidase-B inhibition, blockage of voltage-dependent sodium channels, modulation of calcium channels and of glutamate release induced by abnormal neuronal activity. Therefore, safinamide represents an ideal candidate for the treatment of PD. This compound asks for one time daily intake only within an optimum dose range between 50 and 100 mg. In clinical trials, safinamide was well tolerated and safe, improved motor behavior even in combination with dopamine agonist only, ameliorated levodopa-associated motor complications. Safinamide has the potential to become an important compound for the therapy of PD, since its symptomatic efficacy appears to be superior to available monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors or N-methyl- d-aspartate receptor antagonists like amantadine, according to available trial outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and sensitive extractive spectrophotometric method have been developed and validated for determination of amantadine hydrochloride (AM), memantine hydrochloride (MM) and rimantadine hydrochloride (RM) in pure and pharmaceutical formulations. The method is based on the reaction of these active compounds with bromophenol blue (BB) in acetate buffer (0.1 M) pH 3.5 to form an orange-colored products which have absorption maxima at 408 nm. The procedure of complexation was optimized with regard to such factors as concentrations of BB, pH of medium, a kind of extracting solvents and a number of extractions. Under the optimum conditions, linear relationships A408 = f(c) with good correlation coefficients (≥0.996) and low limit of detection were obtained in the ranges of 50.0-220.0 µg·mL−1, 20.0-150.0 µg·mL−1 or 10.0-110.0 µg·mL−1 for AM, MM and RM, respectively, for the spectrophotometric methods. The proposed method could be applied to the determination of AM, MM and RM in dosage forms. The recovery was 95.3-101.9%. The method was linear, precise and accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aggressive behaviour is a frequent legacy of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a major obstacle to psychosocial recovery. Aggression can take many forms and there is currently no uniform method of assessment that distinguishes aggressive sub-types in a way that can assist decisions for treatment. Review: This paper attempts to provide a framework that will help distinguish two primary sub-types of aggression following TBI, impulsive and episodic aggression, based on their most prominent clinical characteristics. It is hoped that, by providing a description of the phenomenology associated with each form of aggression, together with an explanation of the probable neuropathology underpinning each sub-type, the clinical classification of these two forms of aggression will improve, leading to a commensurate improvement in the choice of treatment interventions, resulting in better psychosocial outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: We hypothesized that NMDA antagonist, amantadine, may be beneficial in reducing the intraoperative anesthetic and analgesic requirements. The aim of this study to evaluate the effect of preoperative oral amantadine on induction doses of propofol, intraoperative anesthetic and analgesic requirements. Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double-blinded controlled study 60 female patients ASA I or II aged 18–60years old, planned for abdominoplasty surgery divided into two groups (30 patients each). Group A: received oral amantadine 200mg on the evening before surgery and 200mg 60min prior to surgery. Group P (control group): the patients received placebo capsules. Propofol and isoflurane were titrated guided by BIS during induction and maintenance of anesthesia where the total dose of propofol and the time elapsed between injection of propofol to achieve BIS value 60 were recorded. Also, the inspired isoflurane concentrations required to maintain BIS between 40 and 60 and the total dose of fentanyl needed to maintain adequate analgesia were recorded. Results: The induction dose of propofol and the time from propofol injection till BIS value reached 60, the total intraoperative fentanyl requirements and the inspired isoflurane concentration required to maintain BIS reading between 40 and 60 were statistically significant lower in amantadine group compared to placebo treated group. The two groups were similar regarding the occurrence of side effects. Conclusion: Preoperative oral amantadine reduced the induction time, induction dose of propofol, intraoperative anesthetic and analgesic requirements compared to placebo without serious side effects in female patients during abdominoplasty. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A simple, sensitive, and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of memantine in human plasma was established. A one-step protein precipitation with methanol was used to extract the analyte from plasma samples. Memantine and amantadine (internal standard, IS) were separated on a YMC-ODS-C18 column using 0.1% formic acid and methanol as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Detection was performed on positive ion mode of the transitions at 180.3→107.3 for memantine and 152.2→135.3 for IS by selected reaction monitoring (SRM). The assay was validated over the concentration range of 0.5–50 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 0.5 ng/mL. The intra- and inter-batch precision (RSD) were no more than 5.96% and 6.37%, respectively. The accuracy was from −3.02% to 7.74%. The validated method was successfully applied to a randomized, 2-period cross-over bioequivalence study in 22 healthy Chinese volunteers following a single oral dose of 10 mg memantine hydrochloride tablet. The simple, inexpensive protein precipitation and high-throughput method makes it a suitable and valuable tool in the investigation of the clinical pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the relative efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and amantadine for the treatment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: A 10-week, randomized double-blind crossover clinical trial conducted from October 2009 to September 2010. Fifty-two patients with MS presenting fatigue at 21 to 53 years of age were randomly allocated to the two treatment groups. The first group received amantadine (100 mg twice daily) for a total of 4 weeks. The second group received ASA (500 mg once daily) for four weeks. After a 2-week washout period, they crossed over to the alternative treatment for 4 weeks. Patients were rated at baseline and the end of each phase with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Results: ASA appeared to be equivalent in efficacy and safety to amantadine. A significant decrease in FSS occurred in both groups. Of the 26 patients treated with amantadine, the mean (SD) of FSS decreased from 4.8 (1.4) to 4.0 (1.4) (P<0.001). In the 26 patients treated with ASA, the mean (SD) of FSS decreased from 4.6 (1.4) to 3.5 (1.5) (P<0.001). Discussion: This study demonstrates that both ASA and amantadine significantly reduce MS-related fatigue. Both ASA and amantadine have previously been shown to reduce fatigue, and we postulate that treatment with ASA and amantadine may have similar benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livedo reticularis (LR) is a 'fish-net like' mottling of the skin, and is attributed to a variety of factors. Amantadine, a medication used in Parkinson's disease, has been known to cause LR localized to the lower, and to a rarer extent, the upper extremities. Patient perception of this condition has been severely under-reported and can impact the patient's decision to stop this medication. In this retrospective study, we analyze the perception of five patients presenting with LR and their decision to continue on amantadine. It was seen that patients with the reticularis rash localized in the upper extremities, in addition to the lower extremities, were affected enough to discontinue amantadine despite its useful therapeutic effects. It is imperative that patient perception regarding LR be taken into consideration when initially presented. Furthermore, the decision to change the regiment of amantadine should be individualized according to patient condition and perception of presented rash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memantine, amantadine and rimantadine are structurally derived from the same diamondoid, adamantane. These derivatives demonstrate therapeutic efficacy in human diseases: memantine for Alzheimer's disease and amantadine and rimantadine for influenza. In order to better understand some of the properties that distinguish these three compounds, we conduct first-principles calculations on their structure and electronic properties. Our results indicate that protonation has a significant effect on the dipole moment, where the dipole moment in protonated memantine is over eight times larger than in the deprotonated form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioids are commonly used to treat moderate to severe pain. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is a paradoxical response to opioid agonists resulting in an increased perception of pain rather than an antinociceptive effect. Even though there is a debate regarding its clinical relevance, it is becoming a challenge in both acute and chronic pain settings. The study of opioid-induced hyperalgesia is an emerging field with multiple challenges faced by investigators with regard to defining the diagnosis and characterizing the findings. The objective of this study was to review the preliminary evidence related to the treatment and management of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. Lack of data, small patient numbers, short-term follow-up, and variations in study design limited the review. With the literature on this subject being sparse, this study attempts to provide a preliminary look at the available data and to set the stage for an eventual meta-analysis. Case reports in the literature have shown success with various pharmacological interventions. Possible treatment regimens include ketamine, dextromethorphan, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioid switching, amantadine, buprenorphine, α2 agonists, and methadone. These agents are briefly discussed in this paper. Further well-designed, placebo-controlled trials are needed to assess the effectiveness of the interventions investigated in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjective:To compare the tolerability and efficacy of combination therapy of memantine plus rivastigmine patch with rivastigmine patch monotherapy in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer''s disease (AD).Research design and methods:In this multicenter, randomized, open-label study, patients entered an 8-week run-in period (a 5  cm2 rivastigmine patch for 4 weeks, then a 10  cm2patch for 4 weeks) followed by 16 weeks of memantine plus rivastigmine patch or rivastigmine patch monotherapy. The primary outcome measure was the retention rate at the end of the trial.Clinical trial registration:clinicaltrials.gov. NCT01025466.Results:Overall, 88 and 84 patients received rivastigmine patch with and without memantine, respectively, and of these, 77 (87.5%) and 70 (83.3%) patients completed the study. The difference in retention rate was not significant (95% confidence interval: −−6.3––14.7%). The incidence of adverse events (AEs) (53.4 vs. 50.6%) and discontinuation due to AEs (6.8 vs. 4.8%) were not different between patients with and without memantine. The most frequent AEs were skin irritation in patients with and without memantine (42.0 vs. 34.9%, p  =  0.71), but discontinuation due to skin irritation was rare (4.5 vs. 2.4%, p  =  0.74). The incidence of gastrointestinal AEs was very low in patients with and without memantine (nausea, 2.3 vs. 1.2%; vomiting, 1.1 vs. 1.2%). The Korean Version of the Cohen Mansfield Agitation Inventory scores favored rivastigmine patch monotherapy at the end of treatment (p  =  0.01). Changes in other efficacy measures were similar between the groups.Conclusion:There were no significant differences in tolerability and safety between the treatment groups. The combination therapy of memantine plus rivastigmine patch did not show an advantage over rivastigmine patch monotherapy on efficacy analyses. The sample size for comparing tolerability may have been too small to detect a difference of efficacy between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic disorders of consciousness are costly and challenging conditions to treat. Although recent studies that have tested pharmacological and electrical stimulation for these conditions are promising, the optimal intervention, mechanisms of action and side effects of these experimental therapies are unclear. Objective: To systematically review the clinical results of treatments for vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) from the last 10 years. Methods: MEDLINE, LILACS and SCOPUS were searched as data sources. Because the potential bias when search is limited to databases of peer-reviewed journals, reference lists were examined and experts in the field were contacted for other relevant or unpublished articles (i.e. negative studies). No negative unpublished studies were found. Studies were included related to therapeutic interventions in adult MCS or VS patients at least 3 and 12 months after non-traumatic and traumatic injuries, respectively. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The following interventions were reviewed: levodopa, amantadine, zolpidem, baclofen, dorsal column stimulation and deep brain stimulation. Conclusions: The adverse effects that were associated with these treatments were typically mild. Most of the studies demonstrated considerable improvements with the interventions, but their low strength of evidence limit the generalizability of the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertigo and dizziness are not independent disease entities, but instead symptoms of various diseases. Accordingly, a variety of treatment approaches are required. Here we review the most relevant drugs for managing dizziness, vertigo, and nystagmus syndromes. It is important to differentiate symptomatic treatment of nausea and vomiting with, for example, dimenhydrinate and benzodiazepines, and prophylactic treatment of motion sickness with scopolamine from a causal therapy of the underlying disorders. Examples of such causal therapy include aminopyridines for downbeat nystagmus and episodic ataxia type 2; carbamazepine for vestibular paroxysmia, paroxsymal dysarthria and ataxia in multiple sclerosis, and superior oblique myokymia; betahistine, dexamethasone, and gentamicin for Menièère's disease; gabapentin and memantine for different forms of acquired and congenital nystagmus; corticosteroids for acute vestibular neuritis and Cogan's syndrome; metoprolol and topiramate for vestibular migraine; and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as paroxetine for phobic postural vertigo. The clinical entities are briefly described, the various medications are discussed in alphabetical order, and dosage, major side effects, contraindications, and alternative medications of each drug are displayed in boxes for easy reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical techniques employed in anti-influenza drugs analysis are summarized. The literature reviewed covers the papers of analytical interest that have appeared in approximately the last 10 years. Specific applications to Amantadine, Rimantadine, Oseltamivir, Zanamivir, and Peramivir are included. Possibilities and limitation of various analytical methods are evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions of pinacyanol chloride (PIN), a cationic cyanine dye, with the anionic polyelectrolyte poly(acrylic acid, sodium salt) (PAA) towards enhancing H-aggregation were investigated by electronic absorption spectroscopy. We employed the cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) host to control the formation of these aggregates via host-guest binding interactions with the dye molecules. Absorption spectroscopic studies clearly demonstrate that PAA enhances the formation of PIN H-aggregates. Electrostatic interactions between the cyanine dye molecules and the polyelectrolyte chains assist the formation of H-aggregates at very low dye concentrations (ca. 10 μM). Furthermore, the presence of CB7 was found to effectively disrupt the interactions responsible for dye aggregation. Thus, CB7 completely disrupts the H-aggregates (as well as lower concentrations of J-aggregates) by forming inclusion complexes with PIN. A competing guest, 1-aminoadamantane (AD), was utilised to adjust the extent of aggregation of the cyanine dye. AD regulates aggregate formation by forming an extremely stable complex with CB7 and exerting a tight control on the CB7 concentration available to interact and bind with the dye. Our spectroscopic data clearly indicate that by varying the relative molar ratios of CB7 host, AD and polyelectrolyte acid groups, we can quantitatively control the extent of formation of PIN H-aggregates in these solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A previous study suggested that the routine use of drugs intended to improve attention and arousal, such as methylphenidate, tend to have a variable but not significant effect on sleep-wake cycles. As amantadine is a frequently employed drug in brain injury rehabilitation, with known effects on fatigue and motor processing speed, this study examined the effect of amantadine on the sleep-wake behaviour of patients with brain injury undergoing rehabilitation. Method: This was a naturalistic observation using an observationally defined sleep-wake distribution for a total of 43 subjects with brain injury. Identified patients were observed for a full 24 hours a day 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after starting amantadine. Some of these patients (n = 12) had been administered amantadine on clinical grounds and, for this paper, served as the experimental group, while the drug naive (n = 31) served as a control. Three outcome measures were operationalized: hours of sleep in 24 hours, hours of sleep during daytime and hours of sleep during night-time. Result: The average number of hours of sleep during a 24-hour period was not significantly different for the two cohorts. Similarly hours of sleep during daytime and hours of sleep during night-time were on average the same for the two groups. The data suggest that amantadine has no direct bearing on sleep/wake cycles using these parameters. Conclusion: This study fails to demonstrate that the use of amantadine on an inpatient brain injury population will affect sleep/wake quantity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]