Influence of reboxetine on salivary MHPG concentration and cognitive symptoms among patients with alcohol-related korsakoff’s syndrome

Abstract

This study is based on the hypothesis of a paraventricularcerebralnoradrenaline deficit in alcoholic Korsakoffs syndrome. In a randomized open study the effects of a 4-week treatment with the selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor reboxetine on (1) thesalivary concentration of the noradrenaline metabolite MHPG and (2) changes in cognitive performance measured by the MiniMentalStatus Test were examined. The study group consisted of 105 patients diagnosed with alcohol-related Korsakoffs syndrome (ICD-10:F10.6). Korsakoffs patients showed a reduced concentration of salivary MHPG compared to healthy controls; this reduction did notcorrelate with the results of the MiniMentalStatus Test. An increase in salivary MHPG was found together with an improvement in theMiniMentalStatus Test both in the verum group treated with reboxetine and in the controlgroup upon completion ofthe 4-week study.However, a subgroup with a shorter duration of disease (< 1 year) was found to profit significantly from reboxetine treatment, as shownby improvements in cognitive performance. © 2003 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.