[Clinical trial of the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with bromocriptine].

The authors accepting the hypotesis that in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis the hypothalamic dopamine receptor function is impaired tried to treat this disease with bromocryptine as an agonist of this receptor. The observation was carried out in 19 patients with moderately advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Bromocryptine was given to the patients in tablets Parlodel Sandoz 7.5 mg daily. No improvement was noted in the efficiency of the muscles of extremities in most patients. The improvement in the function of isolated muscles tested by Lovette's test was transient. A trial of treatment with low bromocryptine doses for short time periods (3 weeks to 4 months) was considered by the authors as unsuccessful.