Ergoloids and ischaemic strokes; efficacy and mechanism of action.

In this double-blind, randomized study the efficacy of the ergoloid compounds, co-dergocrine mesylate and nicergoline, in the rehabilitation of patients with ischaemic stroke was investigated. A group of 30 patients was treated daily with 60 mg nicergoline, orally, and a second group of 27 patients was given 1.8-6 mg co-dergocrine mesylate, orally or intramuscularly, daily (depending on the time since the initial ischaemic insult) for 6 months. Outcome measures included: motoricity index (limb function); Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric (SCAG) scale; psychometric tests to assess functions such as attention, psychomotor performance, perception and sensory and short-term memory; conventional and computerized electroencephalography; and P300 and reaction time measures. The results showed improvements in some aspects such as limb function (P < 0.05), SCAG score (P < 0.01) and some electrophysiological parameters (P < 0.01) after treatment with both drugs. Though statistically significant most of the changes were not large. The efficacy of both drugs was qualitatively similar. The quantitative difference in some aspects in favour of nicergoline could be attributed to differences in the mechanisms of action of the two drugs, although it is also possible that the difference may reflect the dosages used. Nootropic drugs may induce a condition that facilitates the effects of cognitive training.

Cognitive deficits in ischemic strokes: psychometric, electrophysiological and cranial tomographic assessment.

Global and specific cognitive functions were assessed in 57 patients with ischemic strokes subjected to clinical neuropsychiatric, psychometric, electrophysiological and cranial tomographic evaluation. Patients did significantly worse than normal controls in the Blessed dementia scale, Sandoz clinical assessment geriatric scale but not the Folstein mini-mental state examination. Of the specific cognitive functions, attention and psychomotor performance were significantly impaired in stroke patients when compared to normal controls. The impairment in global cognitive functions, attention and psychomotor performance was more evident in chronic than acute cases. Increasing age correlated positively to the deterioration in psychomotor performance and perception. Cranial tomographic size of infarction was significantly related to global cognitive as well as intentional (sensory) memory impairment. The more marked the conventional electroencephalographic abnormalities, the more impaired were the global cognitive functions. High limit of the theta percent power correlated positively to deterioration in psychomotor performance. All P300 parameters except amplitude correlated significantly with impairment of global cognitive function and psychomotor performance in stroke patients.

Microdetermination of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb, Bi and U in inorganic and organometallic compounds with morpholinium morpholine-N-dithiocarboxylate.

The chelates of morpholinium morpholine-N-dithiocarboxylate with manganese(II), iron(II), iron(III), cobalt(II), nickel, copper(II), zinc, silver, cadmium, mercury(II), lead, bismuth and uranium(VI) have been prepared and their compositions elucidated. Simple, accurate and relatively rapid procedures for the gravimetric and titrimetric microdetermination of these metals in inorganic and organometallic compounds are presented.