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A Novel Approach to Assess Motor Outcome of Deep Brain Stimulation Effects in the Hemiparkinsonian Rat: Staircase and Cylinder Test

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Zonisamide improves motor function in Parkinson disease: a randomized, double-blind study.

Miho Murata¹, Kazuko Hasegawa, Ichiro Kanazawa

¹Department of Neurology, Musashi Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashimachi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan. mihom@ncnp.go.jp

|January 4, 2007

Summary

Zonisamide (ZNS) effectively reduced Parkinson disease (PD) symptoms and "off" time when used with levodopa. Doses of 25-50 mg showed efficacy, with good safety profiles at 25-50 mg.

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Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation

Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation

Published on: July 16, 2014

Area of Science:

Neurology
Pharmacology

Background:

Parkinson disease (PD) management often requires adjunctive therapies to levodopa.
Optimizing treatment for PD patients with insufficient levodopa response is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of zonisamide (ZNS) as an add-on therapy in Parkinson disease (PD) patients.
Investigate the effects of daily zonisamide doses (25, 50, 100 mg) on PD symptoms and motor fluctuations.

Main Methods:

A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in Japan.
Patients received levodopa plus placebo or zonisamide (25, 50, 100 mg/day) for 12 weeks.
Primary endpoint: change in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III score; secondary endpoints included "off" time and UPDRS Parts I, II, IV, and Modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale.

Main Results:

Significant improvement in UPDRS Part III scores was observed in the 25-mg and 50-mg zonisamide groups compared to placebo.
Reduced daily "off" time was noted in the 50-mg and 100-mg zonisamide groups.
Zonisamide did not increase dyskinesia, and adverse event incidence was similar for 25-mg, 50-mg, and placebo groups, but higher in the 100-mg group.

Conclusions:

Zonisamide is a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for Parkinson disease (PD) at daily doses of 25 to 100 mg.
The drug is well-tolerated, offering benefits in motor symptom control and reducing "off" time in PD patients.
Zonisamide demonstrates a favorable risk-benefit profile for managing Parkinson disease symptoms.