Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., Vol 150, No. 4, 10 1994, 1002-1005.
Effect of chronic theophylline therapy on brain blood flow and function in adult asthmatics
DL Bowton, DA Stump and R Anderson
Department of Medicine (Section on Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine), Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.
The impact of theophylline therapy on neuropsychological (NP) function in
adult asthmatics is unclear. Additionally, whether the previously
demonstrated acute reduction in cerebral blood flow (CBF) persists with
continued administration of theophylline, or whether accommodation
develops, has not been previously reported. We examined the effects of
chronic theophylline administration on CBF and NP function in adults with
mild to moderate asthma. Sixty adult patients with mild to moderate asthma
were entered into this double-blind, placebo- controlled, crossover, random
sequence study. Subjects received theophylline or placebo for 6 wk
interposed with a 2-wk washout period. At the conclusion of Week 1 and Week
6 of each drug phase, patients received NP testing, and CBF was determined
using the 133Xenon washout method. Forty-three patients completed the
study. Theophylline administration was associated with small (6%), but
statistically significant, reductions in CBF after both 1 and 6 wk of
treatment. No differences consequent to theophylline administration were
observed in any of the tests of NP function after 1 or 6 wk of therapy.
While CBF was decreased after theophylline, the changes were small compared
with previously reported decrements in CBF immediately after theophylline
administration.
