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Efficacy of flupirtine on cognitive function in patients with CJD: A double-blind study
Otto M, Cepek L, Ratzka P, Doehlinger S, Boekhoff I, Wiltfang J, Irle E, Pergande G et al.. Neurology, 2004-03-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background In cell culture experiments, flupirtine maleate (FLU), a triaminopyridine compound, was able to protect neuronal cells from apoptotic cell death induced by prion protein fragments and beta-amyloid peptides. As FLU is a clinically safe drug, the authors started a double-blind placebo-controlled study in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Methods Twenty-eight patients with CJD were randomized to an oral treatment with either FLU (n = 13) or matching placebo (PLA; n = 15).
Key findings
- As FLU is a clinically safe drug, the authors started a double-blind placebo-controlled study in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
- Methods Twenty-eight patients with CJD were randomized to an oral treatment with either FLU (n = 13) or matching placebo (PLA; n = 15).
- For inclusion and continuing the study, the patients had to achieve at least 50% in two of the subscales of the dementia tests employed.
- A battery of standardized questionnaires was employed to monitor the progression of the disease.
Why it matters
This double-blind study gave flupirtine or placebo to 28 patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, not Alzheimer's disease. It does not test a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and provides no information on treating, curing, or preventing it.
Study details
- Participants13
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 64/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 13 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 207 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.6 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Hilmar Walter Prange: h-index 33 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Göttingen: institution h-index 934 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 15007119) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 64 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Otto, M., Cepek, L., Ratzka, P., Doehlinger, S., Boekhoff, I., Wiltfang, J., et al. (2004). Efficacy of flupirtine on cognitive function in patients with CJD: A double-blind study. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000113764.35026.ef
Vancouver
Otto M, Cepek L, Ratzka P, Doehlinger S, Boekhoff I, Wiltfang J, et al. Efficacy of flupirtine on cognitive function in patients with CJD: A double-blind study. Neurology. 2004. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000113764.35026.ef. PMID: 15007119.
BibTeX
@article{otto2004-15007119,
author = {Otto, M. and Cepek, L. and Ratzka, P. and Doehlinger, S. and Boekhoff, I. and Wiltfang, J. and Irle, E. and Pergande, G. and others},
title = {{Efficacy of flupirtine on cognitive function in patients with CJD: A double-blind study}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1212/01.wnl.0000113764.35026.ef},
pmid = {15007119},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000113764.35026.ef}
}
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