Treatment of chronic portal systemic encephalopathy with bromocriptine: a double-blind controlled trial.

A randomized double-blind clinical comparison of bromocriptine, a new dopamine agonist, and placebo was performed on 7 cirrhotic patients with chronic portal systemic encephalopathy (PSE). Before given either medication, patients were stabilized with a standard treatment (neomycin and cathartics). Serial semiquantitative assessments were done, including mental state, asterixis, number connection test, electroencephalogram, and ammonia blood levels. Three patients developed signs of precoma while ingesting both placebo and bromocriptine. Two patients experienced precoma only with placebo, and another patient only while taking bromocriptine. One patient remained awake throughout the study. All patients responded initially to neomycin and cathartics. Bromocriptine proved not to be significantly superior to placebo and was always inferior to standard treatment. During treatment with bromocriptine, 3 patients experienced constipation. This may be partially responsible for the ineffectiveness in the treatment of PSE.