The treatment of chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency. A double-blind study with pentoxifylline (‘Trental’ 400)

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Abstract
A double-blind study was carried out over a 2-month period to compare the therapeutic efficacy of pentoxifylline (one 400 mg tablet 3-times daily) and placebo in 60 patients with signs of cerebral insufficiency due to old age. The typical clinical target symptoms of the cerebro-organic psychosyndrome were evaluated before, during and after treatment, as were changes on the Plutchik Geriatric Rating Scale (PGRS). Psychometric tests (writing, copying, numeric symbols) were used to assess performance before, during and after treatment. Improvements in clinical symptoms were recorded significantly more frequently with pentoxifylline, and the reductions in severity were also significantly more marked with the test conipound than with placebo. By comparison with placebo, pentoxifylline produced significant improvements in the following factors on the PGRS: ‘social isolation’, ‘overall dysfunction’, and ‘sleep disturbance’. Improvements in the psychometric tests were more marked with pentoxifylline than with placebo. Of 29 patients available for assessment in each group, 27 patients improved on pentoxifylline compared with 6 on placebo. No essential differences were established between pentoxifylline and placebo with regard to laboratory parameters and the incidence of subjective side-effects.