[Medical treatment of dyskinesia]

Dyskinesia and dystonia are common complications of long-term levodopa therapy. Because peak-dose dyskinesia is due to excessive dopaminergic stimulation by anti-parkinsonian drugs, it is solved by reducing the whole dose or by taking frequent small doses of levodopa in order to keep relatively stable serum levels. It may be attenuated by dopamine receptor agonists or amantadine which acts as an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist. On the other hand, since early morning dystonia is related to the decline in the level of levodopa, it is initially treated by adding a small dose of levodopa in bedtime. Other patterns of dystonia are often treated accordingly to the treatment of wearing-off phenomenon.