[Treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with thyrotropin releasing hormone]

Nine patients (7 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 1 with progressive spinal amyotrophy and 1 with chronic anterior poliomyelitis) were treated by sequential intravenous administration of 240 mg of TRH over one hour every two weeks. Results were assessed by an analytical evaluation of muscle strength before and 24 h after each infusion and by objective and subjective evaluation of spasticity. Significant improvement, as shown by statistical analysis, was noted in muscle strength in the 9 patients by 5 infusions over a 4-week period and a sub-group of 5 patients treated by 8 infusions over 10 weeks. Continued use of this therapy is justified by the need to determine its long-term effects and the psychological improvement noted in some patients after an even transient improvement in motor performance. However this treatment is obviously not curative.