A preliminary open trial with nimodipine in patients with cognitive impairment and leukoaraiosis.

We treated, in a preliminary open trial, 31 patients presenting with cognitive impairment, progressive bilateral motor dysfunction, and leukoaraiosis on computed tomography (CT) with a 90-mg daily dose of nimodipine for a period as long as 1 year (minimum: 96 days, maximum: 424 days), to study the safety and possible effects on functional and cognitive conditions throughout this period. Of the 29 patients who had been followed for at least 9 months, most (82%) remained stable or improved as evaluated by the Global Deterioration Scale. A significant improvement was observed in the total Sandoz Clinical Assessment Geriatric scale score (44.66 +/- 7.17 at baseline vs. 36.86 +/- 9.34 at exit, analysis-of-variance time effect, p < 0.0001). These data indicate that nimodipine, chronically administered in patients presenting with cognitive impairment, progressive bilateral motor dysfunction, and leukoaraiosis on CT, is safe and might have beneficial effect, to be confirmed by a randomized trial.