Polyprenols in the treatment of chronic alcoholism
Clinical study
90 patients suffering from chronic alcoholism took part in the study. 60 of them received polyprenols, and the other 30 underwent a course of basic therapy. After 30 days of treatment, 66% of patients taking polyprenols had a significant positive dynamics that manifested itself in the improvement of the brain functions. These changes were recorded using electroencephalography. Patients with the basic therapy had improvement only in 23% of cases and were insignificant.
Mokhovikova I.A.1
Sultanov V.S.2
Monakhova I.A.1
Agishev V.G.1
Roshchin V.I.3
Nikitina T.V.
I.I. Skvortsov-Stepanov City Psychiatric Hospital No. 3, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Solagran Limited, Melbourne, Australia
S.M. Kirov Academy of Forestry Engineering in Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia
I.M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Introduction
In the case of chronic alcoholism, pathological changes on the electroencephalogram (EEG) manifest themselves in the form of deficiency of alpha rhythm and increase of beta rhythm, the emergence of paroxysmal waves and discharges, which is considered pre-determining in relation to alcoholism and testifies to the predisposition to it. Alcoholism causes the increased excitation in the dopaminergic-mesolimbic structures of the brain, makes these structures hyperreactive, due to which frequencies of the beta band are generated intensely and evidence the disorder of neurotransmission in the dopaminergic system and the toxic action of alcohol on the brain. It is noted that the presence of the low voltage alpha rhythm on the EEG testifies to alcoholism and correlates with increased anxiety. Typically, the frequency of beta rhythm in the frontal regions of the brain is increased in patients in comparison with its frequency in the parietal and occipital regions.
Study Purpose
To assess, on the basis of the EEG data, the effect of the polyprenolic preparation* in patients with chronic alcoholism on the functional state of the central nervous system (CNS) in comparison with the basic therapy on the basis of the EEG data.
Results
In 75% of patients of the experimental group, deviations of the brain bioelectrical activity (BEA) parameters from the norm were identified on the EEG, local changes were observed in 5% of patients. 11% had epileptimorphous manifestations, and EEG was within normal limits in 9% of patients. A dysfunction at the thalamic level was in 11% of patients, at the truncal level - in 68%, which was expressed in the pattern of the desynchronized "flat" EEG, where the alpha rhythm did not exceed 30% or was completely absent. A slow, often distorted, polymorphous activity in the form of low-wave delta-, theta- and alpha waves dominated on the EEG. A dysfunction at the cortical level was in 57% of persons and was expressed in the form of irritative manifestations due to diffuse high-frequency activity and sharp waves. As a result of the 30-day therapy with polyprenols*, a positive effect on the state of the CNS, that manifested itself in the normalization of the brain BEA, was noted in patients with chronic alcoholism. Positive dynamics was observed in 66% of patients in the experimental group, compared to 23.5% in the control group, but with minor changes. Expressed alterations of the brain BEA were noted in the experimental group, that reflected distinct positive neurophysiological shifts. The latter made the alpha rhythm stronger, better organized, which reflected the normalization of the cortical-subcortical interrelations, the normalization of the balance of excitation and inhibition processes in the brain, as well as the stabilization of parameters of vegetative regulation of the CNS. Under the influence of the polyprenolic preparation*, patients have the reduction of irritative manifestations, especially in the frontal regions of the brain, and excitation processes, as well as the disappearance or decrease of signs of vascular instability. (Published in the proceedings of the 2nd Conference of the Russian Association of Psychoneuroendocrinology (RAPNE), Moscow, 2010)
*A polyprenolic preparation of Ropren was used the study, which is a pure concentrate of polyprenols (the total fraction is 95%). The text of the study is provided by the courtesy of Solagran.