Effects of a dopaminergic agonist (piribedil) on cerebral blood flow in man.

In baboons, the intravenous administration of piribedil, a dopaminergic agonist, was associated with marked dose dependent increases in CBF and cerebral oxygen consumption. We have studied the effects of piribedil on CBF in 20 normal, human volunteers of comparable ages. Ten received 0.1 mg/kg piribedil intravenously for 30 min; the other ten received 0.2 mg/kg. In the first group, CBF did not vary significantly, in the second group, there was a mean increase in CBF of 21.8% (p less than or equal to 0.005). In man, as in animals, piribedil provokes an increase of CBF.