Therapeutic trials in neuromuscular diseases

✍ Scribed by Walter G. Bradley

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 76 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0148-639X
• DOI: 10.1002/mus.880040303

✦ Synopsis

T h e treatment of a disease may spring from an understanding of the underlying etiology of that disease, or it may arise less directly. For instance, the use of L-dopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease arose from the finding of deficient dopamine levels in the brains o f Parkinsonian patients. On the other hand, the recognition of the existence of vitamin B-12 and its use in preventing the anemia and complications of Pernicious Anemia arose from the demonstration that liver contained an agent capable of increasing hemopoiesis in such paticnts. Therapeutic trials may therefore play an important part both in dewloping an cffective treatment, and in increasing the understanding of the underlying ctiology o f the disease.