TREATMENT OF PRIMARY DEGENERATIVE DEMENTIA AND MULTIINFARCT DEMENTIA WITH GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN POLYSULFATE - A COMPARISON OF 2 DIAGNOSES AND 2 DOSES

Glycosaminoglycan polysulfate is a mixture of sulfomucopolysaccharides with a standardized composition and reproducible biologic activity. In a 12-week, multicenter clinical trial the therapeutic effects of two dosages-250 lipasemic-releasing units (LRU) per day and 500 LRU/day of parenterally administered glycosaminoglycan polysulfate were compared in two diagnostically distinct populations: (1) patients with primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type, and (2) patients with multi-infarct dementia. It was found that there were significant changes from pretreatment to end of therapy with regard to measures of objective performance, psychopathology, and social behavior. Improvement was consistently greater in the group with primary degenerative dementia than in the group with multi-infarct dementia. On the other hand, no consistent differences in therapeutic effects between the two doses could be seen. The drug was well tolerated, side effects were infrequent and mild. No clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were encountered during the 3-month clinical trial.