[Effect of CDP-choline on senile mental deterioration. Multicenter experience on 237 cases]

The efficacy of CDP-choline (1000 mg/die) administered for two 21-day treatment cycles, with a one-week wash-out period between them, was evaluated in out and in-patients suffering from mild to moderate brain aging. The study was performed on 237 fully evaluable patients with the use of the reduced geriatric scale of Plutchik and al., for clinical evaluation of the symptomatology. The clinical data obtained demonstrate that treatment with CDP-choline is able to determine an improvement of symptomatology since the 1st cycle of therapy (p less than 0.001), and a further improvement in the 2nd cycle (p less than 0.001). Particularly, the therapeutic effect of the 1st cycle is persistent in the intermediate wash-out period (suspension of treatment) with a further decrease, of symptomatology regarding some items of Plutchik's scale (p less than 0.01). Finally, treatment with CDP-choline 1000 mg/die for two 21-day cycles in 237 patients suffering from brain aging determined a statistically significant improvement of the cognitive and behavioural parameters taken into consideration: independence/autonomous life; human relations/social life; interest and attentive capacity; individual behaviour. Therefore citicoline is confirmed as a valid therapeutic remedy for the clinical, functional and social recovery of these patients.