Effect of ultrahigh-dose methylcobalamin on compound muscle action potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A double-blind controlled study
✍ Scribed by Ryuji Kaji; Mitsuo Kodama; Atsuko Imamura; Thoru Hashida; Nobuo Kohara; Masahiro Ishizu; Kennichi Inui; Jun Kimura
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 127 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0148-639X
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✦ Synopsis
To develop a symptomatic treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we compared the effects of ultrahigh-dose and low-dose (25 and 0.5 mg/day, intramuscularly, for 14 days) methylcobalamin on averaged compound muscle action potential amplitudes (CMAPs) in a double-blind trial. No significant changes in CMAP amplitude were found in 12 patients who had the low-dose treatment at either 2 or 4 weeks after start of treatment. By contrast, 12 patients assigned to the ultrahigh-dose group demonstrated a significant increase at 4 weeks. This method may provide a clinically useful measure to improve or retard muscle wasting, if a larger extended trial fulfills its promise.