Title
Amantadine treatment of fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurology
Publication Date
1989-06-01
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adult; Amantadine; Circadian Rhythm; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Sclerosis; Neuropsychological Tests; Retrospective Studies
Disciplines
Nervous System Diseases | Neurology
Abstract
Fatigue is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that is without an effective treatment. A double-blind, controlled study of fatigue treatment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride in treating MS-associated fatigue. Since fatigue cannot be characterized by a single symptom or behavior, a variety of neuropsychological, behavioral, and self-report measures were used to monitor changes across different systems. According to patients' daily diary ratings, amantadine produced small but statistically significant improvements in fatigue across four of seven dimensions (overall energy level, concentration, problem solving, and sense of well-being). In addition, patients with MS who were taking amantadine performed slightly better on the Stroop Interference Test, an attentional measure of freedom from distracting information. Although retrospective reports by patients with MS did not confirm the degree of improvement recorded on a daily basis, the study's results suggested that amantadine may offer modest benefits in alleviating the day-to-day subjective experience of fatigue.
Source
Arch Neurol. 1989 Jun;46(6):676-80.
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Archives of neurology
Related Resources
PubMed ID
2730380
Repository Citation
Cohen RA, Fisher M. (1989). Amantadine treatment of fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis. Neurology Publications. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/neuro_pp/44