In a preliminary evaluation we analyzed the data from the first 16 patients that completed the study (6 male, IO female, age S1.6* 18.6 years). We found a significant improvement in older patients (age> 40 years) on alpha-tocopherol as compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). No therapeutic effects of alphatocopherol were observed in the younger patients (age<40 years).Up to now age is the only valid risk factor which increases vulnerability for TD. Because the content of alpha-tocopherol in the brain is known to decrease with age, it is tempting to speculate that (1) the decrease of brain alpha-tocopherol with age enhances the susceptibility of elder individuals to the damaging effects of free radicals, resulting in increased susceptibility to neuroleptic-induced TD, and that (2) therefore these elder patients might benefit from high-dose alpha-tocopherol therapy, as found in the present study. However, this working hypothesis certainly needs confirmation in a larger sample before any definite conclusion can be drawn.
A simple method has been developed for the determination of the efficacy of pharmacologic emetic agents in children based on measuring the efficiency of stomach content return. The following conclusions can be reached from the study: (a) apomorphine can be safely administered by paramedical personnel, (b) it is not associated with significant CNS depression or protracted vomiting as has previously been feared, (c) it is faster acting than syrup of ipecac, and (d) it is equally effective in removing test material from the stomach as syrup of ipecac. However, it is apparent from this investigation that neither agent is truly effective or predictable in removing stomach contents, hence a search should be made for a more efficacious means of treating acute ingestions. Until more effective methods are found, it is recommended that syrup of ipecac be used as a first-aid measure in the home, and apomorphine be used in the emergency room.
This report describes multiple sclerosis beginning in a four-year-old girl. Her clinical course illustrates not only the diagnostic problems presented by the demyelinating disorders in pediatric practice but emphasizes also the possible relations between these conditions. A literature survey indicates that multiple sclerosis though unusual may begin at an early age.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.