STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the long-term administration of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) on sensorimotor function in humans with long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Randomized, open-label, active-treatment control, dosage-blinded study. SETTING:University-affiliated, tertiary-level care, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PATIENTS: Twenty-one healthy men and women outpatients suffering from traumatic SCI (14 tetraplegic, 7 paraplegic) for 2 years or more. INTERVENTIONS: Dosages of an immediate-release formulation of 4-AP were titrated. At 3 months, 16 subjects were receiving4-AP 30 mg/day (high dose); 5 subjects were receiving 4-AP 6 mg/day (low dose) and served as an active-treatment control group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Composite motor and sensory scores had statistically significant increases at 3 months. Maximal expiratory pressure, maximal inspiratory pressure, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second showed clinically meaningful and/or statistically significant increases among patients receiving 4-AP 30 mg/day. These subjects also had significant decreases in spasticity (modified Ashworth Scale). Serial biochemical profiles and electroencephalographs were unchanged from baseline, and no clinically significant drug toxicity was encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term oral administration of immediate-release 4-AP was associated with improvement in and recovery of sensory and motor function, enhanced pulmonary function, and diminished spasticity in patients with long-standing SCI. 4-Aminopyridine appears to be safe and relatively free from toxicity when administered orally over 3 months. Each patient who received immediate-release 4-AP 30 mg/day showed a response in one or more of the outcome measures.
RCT Entities:
STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of the long-term administration of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) on sensorimotor function in humans with long-standing spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN: Randomized, open-label, active-treatment control, dosage-blinded study. SETTING: University-affiliated, tertiary-level care, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. PATIENTS: Twenty-one healthy men and women outpatients suffering from traumatic SCI (14 tetraplegic, 7 paraplegic) for 2 years or more. INTERVENTIONS: Dosages of an immediate-release formulation of 4-AP were titrated. At 3 months, 16 subjects were receiving 4-AP 30 mg/day (high dose); 5 subjects were receiving 4-AP 6 mg/day (low dose) and served as an active-treatment control group. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Composite motor and sensory scores had statistically significant increases at 3 months. Maximal expiratory pressure, maximal inspiratory pressure, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second showed clinically meaningful and/or statistically significant increases among patients receiving 4-AP 30 mg/day. These subjects also had significant decreases in spasticity (modified Ashworth Scale). Serial biochemical profiles and electroencephalographs were unchanged from baseline, and no clinically significant drug toxicity was encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term oral administration of immediate-release 4-AP was associated with improvement in and recovery of sensory and motor function, enhanced pulmonary function, and diminished spasticity in patients with long-standing SCI. 4-Aminopyridine appears to be safe and relatively free from toxicity when administered orally over 3 months. Each patient who received immediate-release 4-AP 30 mg/day showed a response in one or more of the outcome measures.
Authors: Thomas E Ichim; Fabio Solano; Fabian Lara; Eugenia Paris; Federico Ugalde; Jorge Paz Rodriguez; Boris Minev; Vladimir Bogin; Famela Ramos; Erik J Woods; Michael P Murphy; Amit N Patel; Robert J Harman; Neil H Riordan Journal: Int Arch Med Date: 2010-11-11
Authors: Yan Li; Suhasini Ganta; Fred B von Stein; Diane E Mason; Brianna M Mitchell; Lisa C Freeman Journal: Reprod Biol Endocrinol Date: 2003-04-01 Impact factor: 5.211