[The effect of piracetam on involuntary movements in Huntington's disease. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study]

Piracetam and its derivatives, a group of "nootropic" drugs thought to act as metabolic enhancers in the brain, have been widely used to treat a variety of cognitive disorders. Two studies have reported that this compound reduces the severity of involuntary movements in acute onset hemichorea. We therefore randomly assigned 11 patients with Huntington's disease to receive high doses of intravenous piracetam (12 g in 250 ml of saline) or placebo on different days. A blinded observer then rated the severity of involuntary movements over a period of 4 hours. Significant aggravation (p < 0.05) of chorea was seen in patients taking piracetam, in comparison with ratings for both baseline and placebo, 4 hours after administration but not during earlier assessments. Although the mechanism causing this effect is unidentified, we believe that our findings indicate that piracetam should not be used to treat the cognitive disorders accompanying Huntington's disease.