[Double-blind comparison of vincamine and placebo in patients with presbyacusis (author's transl)].

14-15-Dihydro-14beta-hydroxy-[3alpha,16alpha]-eburnamenine-14-carbonic acid methylester (vincamine, Vincapront) and placebo were compared in a double-blind trial, using daily doses of 60 mg p.o. in 30 out-patients suffering from peripheral and mainly centrally induced labyrinthine deafness (presbyacusis). The treatment lasted for 6 weeks. The diagnosis was established by otological examinations, the SISI test and pure-tone and speech audiometry. Other causes of disease were excluded. 6 patients suffered from an accompanying disease needing treatment (glycosides, antihypertensives). 1 patient had an intercurrent rhinopharyngitis. Any other drug was discontinued at the beginning of treatment. The result was checked by pure-tone and speech audiometry (monosyllabic word test) before and after treatment. The pure-tone audiometric test did not reveal any change in both groups while speech audiometry (monosyllabic word test) showed significant improvements in the vincamine group (p less than 0.004). Only random alterations occurred in the control group. Vincamine was well tolerated by all patients. The tolerance of placebo was rated to be moderate by two patients.