FIVE YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF TREATMENT WITH TRIHEXYPHENIDYL (ARTANE)

Abstract

Four years ago, two of us (L. J. D. and K. C.) reported our observations during a year of treating 117 patients with paralysis agitans (Parkinson's disease) with trihexyphenidyl (Artane). 1 The salient findings were (1) the therapeutic effects of trihexyphenidyl equalled or surpassed those of other agents in use at the time and (2) trihexyphenidyl was relatively free from disturbing side-reactions. Other reports appeared in quick succession and corroborated most of our findings. Corbin 2 reported gratifying results in 86 cases; Dow and Rosenbaum 3 in 20 cases; Canelis, Farnell, and McGavack 4 in 23 cases; Ellenbogen 5 in 12 cases; Phillips, Montuschi, and Sharkey 6 in 200 postencephalitic cases; Salzer 7 in 12 cases; Effron and Denker 8 in 80 cases; and Shapiro 9 in 60 cases. Before long, the drug came into professional use throughout the world, and today it is commonly accepted as the standby in