[Possibilities using prolonged release dopamine receptor agonists in elderly and old age]. / Vozmozhnosti primeneniia agonistov dofaminovykh retseptorov prolongirovannogo deistviia v pozhilom i starcheskom vozraste.

Treatment efficacy of Parkinson's disease has been essentially improved due to the introduction of dopamine receptors agonists to clinical practice. However, these drugs are not recommended to patients over 70 years because of the high probability of side-effects that significantly reduce therapeutic opportunities in elderly patients. It is known, that many dopaminergic side-effects are due to unstable and high peak concentrations of drugs. Application of prolonged forms of dopamine receptors agonists, and careful selection of elderly patients, allows to use these drugs as safely, as in patients of middle age. This fact has been proved by several clinical trials. Criteria for selection of elderly patients for treatment with dopamine receptors agonists are: the absence of severe cognitive disturbances, REM-sleep behavioral disorders, orthostatic hypotension, frequent falling and decompensated somatic diseases.

[The use of the Sinemet-CR preparation in treating Parkinson's disease]. / Primenenie preparata Sinemet-CR v lechenii bolezni Parkinsona.

Sinemet-CR is manufactured by "Merck, Sharp and Dohme" firm (USA). It is represented the tablet form of drug that consists of levodopa (200 mg) and carbidopa (50 mg) on polymeric basis. This basis is dissolved gradually in small intestine providing prolonged drug's action. 29 patients in the age of 38-77 years with different forms of Parkinson's disease (1-13 years of duration) were treated using the doses 500-1500 mg. The doses depended upon both disease stage and individual sensitivity. It was also taken into consideration if the patients were or were not treated with levodopa and carbidopa preparations previously (the dose was adjusted during 3-4 weeks). The treatment's duration was 3 months. The positive medical effect was revealed in 23 cases (80%) while more expressed and firm effect was obtained in 15 cases. The most manifested action was observed toward rigidity, hypokinesia and tremor as well as toward such functions as memory, attention and psychical activity. Preparation's negative action was registered in 6 observations. In conclusion the authors noted both the high effectiveness and safety of preparation and recommended it for wide application.

[Magnetic resonance tomography of the brain in Parkinson's disease]. / Magnitno-rezonansnaia tomografiia golovnogo mozga pri bolezni Parkinsona.

Because cerebral atrophy and white substance of the cerebral hemispheres became typical findings at NMR-tomography of the brain in Parkinson's disease, the authors initiated a study to quantify the observed defects. A combination of neurological, neuropsychological and NMR-tomography methods with addition of formalized scales has been utilized. The severity of cerebral atrophy and that of neurological and psychic disorders were related. Internal atrophy was more frequently observed in older patients, the external one was more characteristic for patients with systemic atherosclerosis. Multiple focal lesions of the white substance were encountered in associated arterial hypertension and was present in all the patients with distinct cerebral atrophy. Diffuse lesions of the white substance (leukareosis) showed no relationship to any of the factors studied.

[Hyperekplexia]. / Giperékpleksiia.

The paper reports a case of a rare neurological syndrome, hyperekplexia. A 46[correction of 38]-year-old man had secondary hyperekplexia in the presence of unusual associated clinical symptoms (periodical kinesiogenic dystonia and episodes of severe laryngospasms) and mild circulatory disorder in the brain trunk area.