Comparative study of the clinical effects of vincamine + glycerol versus glycerol + placebo in the acute phase of stroke.

The treatment of the acute phase of stroke creates a difficult problem to the clinician. The presently used drugs lead to controversial results. The progress in knowledge of the pathogenesis of cerebral damage underlines the determinant role of the metabolic deficits in the ischemic areas. The effect on the clinical symptomatology of patients in the acute phase of stroke was studied during a double-blind comparative clinical trial with an alcaloid of Vinca minor (Pervincamine) which acts favorably against disturbances of oxydative glucose metabolism and of cerebral microcirculation. 20 patients divided into two homogeneous groups received during 5 days either Pervincamine (4 ampoules of 3 ml = 60 mg vincamine p.d.) + glycerol, or glycerol + placebo administered by i.v. infusion. Clinically the results indicate a greater improvement of the neurological status (objectivated by a neurological scale) with vincamine treatment than with placebo. Statistically the analysis confirms the highly significant effect of vincamine on motility of lower and upper limbs (p less than 0.02) and the significant effect on cranial nerves (homonymous hemianopsia and conjugated deviation of eyes) (p less than 0.05) and on the sphincter control level (p less than 0.05).