Effects of trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride (Artane) on Parkinson's disease

MANY STUDIES of the clinical effects of trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride (Artane) and other related compounds on Parkinson’s disease have been reported.1 We had 2 reasons for wanting to repeat this work-first, we were anxious to measure the effects of Artane using objective tests, and, second, we hoped that a more detailed study of these effects might tell us more about the nature of the disease. In studying the effect of the drug, an attempt was made to answer several specific questions about its action, such as: 1. Does it help all patients with this disease? 2. Is it in any way specific for the disease? 3. Does its effect in any way identify varieties of the disease? Our results provide answers to these and to other questions, which are discussed below.