Loading...
Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of Huntington disease (HD) that often precedes the motor manifestations of the disease. Adequate treatments for cognitive impairment are not yet available. Latrepirdine (Dimebon), a synthetic molecule that stabilizes mitochondrial membranes, improved cognitive, functional, and behavioral measures in a phase II study in patients with Alzheimer disease (Lancet 2008; 372:207). Because of this finding, and because mitochondrial dysfunction is part of the pathophysiological cascade in HD, the Huntington Study Group performed a manufacturer-sponsored, double-blind, multicenter trial. They randomized 91 patients with mild-to-moderate HD to latrepirdine (20 mg three times daily) or placebo for 90 days.
The dru…