[On the meaning of psychometrically operationalized therapeutic effects in the treatment of brain insufficiency phenomena caused by old age demonstrated by the "Nürnberger-Alters-Inventar" (author's transl)].

The drug effects of dihydroergotoxine (Hydergin) and piracetam were examined in a sample of 44 old-age home residents, 76 years average age, using performance tests, nurse-ratings for the need of care and self-evaluation measures of the "Nürnberger Alters-Inventar" (NAI). Within a subsample of 18 patients, selected according to certain EEG-criteria, EEG day profiles were assessed. The medication lasted for 6 weeks. 2 mg dihydroergotoxine or 0.8 g piracetam, respectively, were applied three times a day. Initial effects were observed for both medications after 3 weeks in terms of improvements in the cognitive performance, for the activities of daily living and need of care, respectively, and for subjective, physical, functional and social self-evaluations. After 6 weeks, at the end of the study, these effects were confirmed only for dihydroergotoxine, whereas the piracetam subjects could not stabilize these improvements. The psychometric results were corroberated by the EEG-data. Correlations between the independent levels of psychometric assessment did demonstrate the meaning of the performance measures in terms of activities of daily living and subjective well-being.