Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Ram Kaminski

Susan Molinari

Alessandro Di Rocco

In accordance with the present invention, neuropsychiatric symptoms of apathy-amotivation syndrome and particularly those symptoms in: Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's chorea, frontal lobe lesions, and AIDS dementia can be ameliorated by treating a patient with a histamine H.sub.2 -antagonist that passes the blood-brain barrier. Suitable H.sub.2 -antagonists include famotidine and ranitidine. The H.sub.2 -antagonists may be co-administered with other compounds which are known to be useful in the treatment of the above neuropsychiatric conditions, and in one aspect of the invention can be formulated with such other compounds into a therapeutic composition.

Method and composition for the treatment of apathy-amotivation syndrome

The neuropsychiatric symptom of bradyphrenia in a Parkinson's Disease patient may be ameliorated by treating the patient with a histamine H.sub.2 -antagonist that passes the blood brain barrier. Suitable H.sub.2 -antagonists include famotidine and ranitidine. The H.sub.2 -antagonists may be co-administered with other compounds such as histamine H.sub.1 -antagonists which are known to be useful in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, and can be formulated with such other compounds into a therapeutic composition.

Method for the treatment of bradyphrenia in Parkinson's disease patients

The present invention relates to methods of treating movement disorders which comprise administering famotidine or a related compound to a subject in need of such treatment, wherein the motor disorder is selected from the group consisting of olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy, multi-system atrophy, Shy-Drager syndrome, kernicterus, Leigh's disease, cerebellar ataxias, neonatal hypoxemia syndromes, carbon monoxide poisoning, progressive supranuclear palsy, tardive dystonias, oculogyral crises, manganese poisoning, Wilson's Disease, Huntington's Disease, striatonigral degeneration, ingestion by the subject of phenothiazines, butyrophenones or reserpine, Alzheimer's Disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus, obstructive hydrocephalus, physiologic tremor, benign familial tremor, cerebellar tremor, rubral tremor, toxic tremor, metabolic tremor, senile tremor, chorea, ballism, athetosis, dystonia, tics, tardive dyskinesia, paroxysmal choreoathetosis, tonic spasm, akathisia, muscle rigidity, postural instability, bradykinesia, difficulty in initiating movements, muscle cramps, dyskinesias, myoclonus, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, and wherein the subject does not exhibit bradyphrenia. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the movement disorder is associated with an abnormality in basal ganglia structure or function. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the movement disorder is a component of Parkinson's Disease. The present invention is based, at least in part, on the discovery that Parkinson's Disease patients treated with famotidine reported improved motor function, diminished tremor, and decreased dyskinesias and 'on/off' fluctuations in their response to conventional levodopa therapy.

Use of famotidine and related compounds in the treatment of movement

Neuropsychiatric symptoms of Parkinson's Disease and particularly the symptoms of apathy-amotivation and mental slowing can be ameliorated by treating a patient suffering from Parkinson's Disease with a histamine H.sub.2 -antagonist that passes the blood brain barrier. Suitable H.sub.2 -antagonists include famotidine and ranitidine. The H.sub.2 -antagonists may be co-administered with other compounds such as histamine H,-antagonists which are known to be useful in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, and can be formulated with such other compounds into a therapeutic composition.

Methods for the treatment of bradyphrenia in parkinson's disease

Persons suffering from negative symptoms of schizophrenia can be successfully treated using a histamine H.sub.2 -antagonist which crosses the blood-brain barrier so as to interact with histamine-H.sub.2 receptors in the brain. A preferred H.sub.2 -antagonist is famotidine. The H.sub.2 -antagonist may be used alone in patients who are relatively free of positive symptoms or it may be used in combination with known neuroleptics. A pharmaceutical composition containing both an H.sub.2 -antagonist and a neuroleptic is part of the present invention.

Method and pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of schizophrenia

Persons suffering from negative symptoms of schizophrenia can be successfy treated using a histamine H.sub.2 -antagonist which crosses the blood-brain barrier so as to interact with histamine-H.sub.2 receptors in the brain. A preferred H.sub.2 -antagonist is famotidine. The H.sub.2 -antagonist may be used alone in patients who are relatively free of positive symptoms or it may be used in combination with known neuroleptics. A pharmaceutical composition containing both an H.sub.2 -antagonist and a neuroleptic is part of the present invention.

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Riverdale, NY, United States of America

Ram Kaminski