CLINICAL PILOT-STUDY ON THE MYOGENIC EFFE CTS OF FLUPIRTINE VERSUS TETRAZEPAM AND PLACEBO

The effects of flupirtine (GAS 56995-20-1, D-9998, Katadolon(R)) on mu scle force and related electromyographic (EMG) activity has been asses sed in comparison to tetrazepam and placebo in 12 healthy male volunte ers after oral single-dose administration and under steady-state condi tions. Muscle functions primarily reflecting dynamic daily demands rem ained unaffected under flupirtine in contrast to tetrazepam, the latte r exhibiting the typical signs of increased (co-)innervation which can be interpreted as a compensation of a decrease of muscle force. Under conditions that serve as a model for static-spastic situations, flupi rtine showed a decrease, tetrazepam a typical increase in the force pa rameter. Under the same conditions, a decrease of the EMG-amplitude wa s observed for flupirtine and, to a lesser extent, for tetrazepam as w ell. With respect to its muscle relaxing property, flupirtine differs both, quantitatively and qualitatively from tetrazepam, which has show n effects common for benzodiazepines.