June 2006 Cover
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An old anti-seizure drug offered promising results during a new safety and efficacy trial in 22 patients with HIV-related dementia (HRD). Valproic acid improved cognitive performance and restored nerve cell
function, according researchers from the University of Rochester School of Medicine (URSM) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
Patients with HRD were randomly assigned to a placebo group or valproic acid group. Those patients taking valproic acid in a dose smaller than that used for seizures showed signs of mental function
improvement. Brain scans also showed improved changes in brain metabolism. The drug showed no signs of increasing patients' HIV replication.
Valproic acid could protect the neurons from HIV dementia, researchers believe, and might be used for other neurodegenerative diseases.
"It's not proof positive," said Dr. Howard Gendelman, director for the Center of Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders at UNMC and a study coauthor. "But it's encouraging. It's more than encouraging."
Editor's Note: from the Omaha World-Herald
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