Treatment of multifocal motor neuropathy with interferon-β1A

Van den Berg–Vos, R. M. MD
Van den Berg, L. H. MD, PhD
Franssen, H. MD, PhD
Van Doorn, P. A. MD, PhD
Merkies, I. S. J. MD
Wokke, J. H. J. MD, PhD

From the Departments of Neurology (Drs. Van den Berg–Vos, Van den Berg, and Wokke), Clinical Neurophysiology (Dr. Franssen), Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, University Medical Center Utrecht; and the Department of Neurology (Drs. Van Doorn and Merkies), University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Received August 23, 1999.

Accepted in final form December 3, 1999.

Supported by a grant from the Prinses Beatrix Fonds. The research of Dr. Van den Berg was supported by a fellowship from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Leonard H. Van den Berg, Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands; e-mail: [email protected].

Neurology 54(7):p 1518-1521, April 11, 2000.

Article abstract

Nine patients with multifocal motor neuropathy who had previously responded favorably to IV immunoglobulins (IVIg) were treated with interferon-β1a. Muscle strength and disability were evaluated. In six patients there was no effect of treatment. Four patients deteriorated in such a way that IVIg had to be restarted during the study. Three patients showed an improvement that was more pronounced than on IVIg. These patients had a shorter disease duration and were less affected clinically and electrophysiologically than those who did not respond.