Double-blind Trial of Linoleic Acid in Multiple Sclerosis
- 1 October 1983
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of Neurology
- Vol. 40 (11) , 693-694
- https://doi.org/10.1001/archneur.1983.04050100033011
Abstract
Studies of linoleic acid levels in the blood of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have suggested that these levels drop during acute exacerbations.1 This prompted Millar et al2 to undertake a double-blind study of the effects of linoleic acid administration on the course of MS. The trial was conducted in two independent centers (London and Belfast). Seventy-five patients were studied in a doubleblind protocol. Clinical scoring employed the Kurtzke disability status scale3 and a method for scoring severity of relapses.2 At the end of the trial, the latter showed a significant reduction in both numbers and severity of relapses in the linoleic acid-treated group. No long-term beneficial effects were detected. My colleagues and I attempted to confirm these observations, using timed studies of functional ability, the Kurtzke disability status scale, and the Kurtzke functional scales as measures of neurologic involvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients wereKeywords
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