Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.05.2002, Blaðsíða 43

POSTERS / 3 3HD SNC & 2ND SCNN
time (UPDRS item 39) decreased or unchanged compared to
baseline (p<0.001). The mean daily levodopa dose was reduced by
41 mg at the end of the study compared to baseline. Most of the
AE's reported were dopaminergic, such as dyskinesias, nausea, and
could be handled by reducing the levodopa dose. Diarrhoea was
reported by 13%, but led to discontinuation in only 3% of the
patients. No liver toxicity were recorded.
Conclusion: The efficacy and safety parameters indicate that the
benefits of entacapone are maintained in long-term treatment.
P15 - Entacapone as an adjunct to controlled-release levodopa
preparations
Gordin A, Poewe W, Deuschl G, Kultalahti E-R, Haapaniemi H, Leinonen M,
Reinikainen K
Research Centre, Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
Objective: It has earlier been shown in several studies that enta-
capone, used as an adjunct to levodopa, is effective and safe in
combination STD levodopa preparations. Entacapone has also
been shown to be effective in short term studies with CR levodopa.
The efficacy and safety of entacapone when used in combination
with standard (STD) and/or controlled release (CR) levodopa
preparations was studied in Parkinson's disease (PD).
Material and methods: A multicenter, double-blind, placebo cont-
rolled randomised (2:1 entacapone vs. placebo) study of six months
duration was carried out in Germany and Austria. Entacapone 200
mg (or placebo) was administered with each daily levodopa dose.
301 patients with PD participated, most with motor fluctuations
(260 patients). Of the 301 patients 136 received only STD levodopa
and 20 only CR levodopa preparations. Of those using a
combination of STD and CR levodopa preparations, 67 used only
one CR tablet a day.
Results: The daily ON-time was increased both in the patients
taking STD levodopa only (increase 1.6 hours) and in those taking
more than one daily CR levodopa dose with entacapone (increase
1.7 hours) compared to placebo. Activities of daily living (ADL),
was improved to a similar extent in both the entacapone compared
to the placebo groups. When interactions between the groups were
tested, this was independent of the type of the levodopa prepara-
tions used.
Conclusion: The beneficial effect of entacapone as an adjunct to
either STD or CR levodopa is comparable in PD patients.
P16 - Electroretinographic and histologic assessment of retinal
function in MICROPHTHALMIA mutant mice
Mðller A', Eysteinsson T’, Steingrímsson E2
Departments of 'Physiology and :Molecular Biology, University of Iceland,
Reykjavik, Iceland
Objective: To examine the effects of mutations in the mouse (Mus
musculus) multi-allelic microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf)
gene on retinal function. Mitf mice are the only known mouse
model for retinal degeneration that can be traced to a defect in the
retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
Material and inethods: Electroretinography (ERG) was used to
evaluate the functional state of the retina and to determine the role
of the Mitf gene in visual function. Corneal ERGs were recorded
with a steel wire in response to white flashes of light. Homozygous
(MitfMi’wh/ MitP" wh, Mitf”,hp/ Mitfmis[’, MitfmibwV Mitfm”b“”), compound
heterozygous (MitfMiwh/Mitf'i ,p) mutants and homozygous wild-type
mice (C57BL/6J) were studied at 16 weeks of age. Each animal was
only tested once. Electroretinograms were correlated with histo-
pathological findings in the same animals.
Results: The ERGs of both Mitfrai,p/Mitf”isp and Mitf1"1 ""VMitf"'bm
mice appear normal but ERGs of MitfMi wh/MitfMi wh mice show they
are probably blind. On the other hand, ERGs from MitfMi “h/Mitftai',p
mice were reduced in amplitude and delayed, indicating an
RPE/photoreceptor defect.
Conclusions: At 16 weeks post partum, MitP,iwh/Mitftaisp mutants
show evidence of rod-cone dystrophy, possibly with a slow progres-
sion. Surprisingly, Mitl'm,l’'"/Mitfra,b“ mice, which have a similar
phenotype as Mitfm”vu mice, show normal ERGs.
P17 - Quantification of myosin is a valuable tool
Ansved T, Ahlbeck C, Eriksson Ll, Fri Y
Dept. of Neurology, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
Objectíve: To develop a clinically useful method for rapid diagnosis
of critical illness myopathy.
Materials and methods: We studied ten critically ill patients (5
males and 5 females, aged 16-76 years) who had been diagnosed
with critical illness myopathy based on clinical signs, neurophysio-
logy and muscle biopsy findings.
The muscle biopsies were re-evaluated with regard to light
microscopical and ultrastructural pathology and the myosin/actin
ratio was quantified by densitometry following horizontal pore
gradient SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
Results: Histopathological changes at the light microscopical level
included muscle fibre atrophy, degeneration, regeneration and loss
of myofibrillar ATPase activity, often focally within fibres. Ultra-
structurally, preferential loss of thick filaments were found to a
varying degree in all biopsy specimens, foremost in core formations
with loss of normal sarcomeric pattern. Vacuoles were seen, some
of them enlarged and proliferated triads. In some patients, the
changes were very mild and present only in parts of the biopsy.
The myosin/actin ratio was 0.37±0.17(SD), which was 73% lower
than the corresponding mean value of 42 controls (18 males and 24
females, aged _-72 years), who had undergone muscle biopsy due to
suspected or confirmed myopathies of different kinds (1.37±0.21;
p<0.0002). There was no overlap between patients and controls.
Conclusion: Quantification of the myosin/actin quotient is an effi-
cient and potent tool in the diagnosis of critical illness myopathy,
also in cases where muscle biopsy only reveales mild changes. It is
considerably less time-consuming than e.g. electron microscopy.
P18 - Categorical speech perception and experiments with ERP:
relationship between voice onset time and N100 latency
Levy SRA', Stefánsson SB2, Pind J1
'Department of Psychology, University of Iceland, 2Department of Neurology,
Landspitali, University Hospital, Iceland
Objective: To determine the relationship between voice onset time
(VOT) and the N100 latency of auditory event related potentials
(ERP).
Læknablaðið/Fylgirit 43 2002/88 43