Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
06:45
Rating L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesias in the Unilaterally 6-OHDA-Lesioned Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Published on: October 4, 2021
Levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone in Parkinson's disease
Lauren C Seeberger1, Robert A Hauser
1The Movement Disorders Center at the Elks, 600 N. Robbins Rd, Boise, ID 83702, USA. lseeberger@ierh.org
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
|July 11, 2009
Summary
Levodopa is effective for Parkinson's disease motor symptoms but causes complications. Combining levodopa with carbidopa and entacapone (Stalevo) offers continuous delivery to reduce motor fluctuations and dyskinesias.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Levodopa is the most effective Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment for motor symptoms.
- Chronic levodopa use leads to motor complications like wearing-off, fluctuations, and dyskinesias due to pulsatile dopaminergic stimulation.
- Alternative treatments like dopamine agonists are less efficacious for motor control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore continuous levodopa delivery methods to mitigate motor complications in Parkinson's disease.
- To investigate the role of COMT inhibitors in extending levodopa's half-life and improving central bioavailability.
Main Methods:
- Administration of levodopa with a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI) to reduce peripheral conversion.
- Addition of a catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor to further prolong levodopa's half-life.
- Utilizing fixed-dose combination tablets (Stalevo: levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone) in various strengths.
Main Results:
- Stalevo provides a combination of levodopa, carbidopa, and entacapone.
- Available in multiple fixed-dose ratios (e.g., 50/12.5/200 mg).
- Approved for Parkinson's disease patients experiencing end-of-dose wearing-off phenomena.
Conclusions:
- Continuous delivery of levodopa aims to maintain therapeutic benefits throughout the day.
- Combination therapy with DDCI and COMT inhibitors enhances levodopa's pharmacokinetic profile.
- Stalevo offers a therapeutic option for managing motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Parkinson's Disease: Treatment
Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease (PD), involve the gradual and irreversible destruction of neurons in particular brain areas. These disorders exhibit standard features like proteinopathies, selective vulnerability of some neurons, and an interaction of intrinsic properties, genetics, and environmental influences in neural injury.
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
Parkinson's Disease is primarily a result of the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The cornerstone of its...
01:15Parkinson's Disease: Overview
Neurodegenerative disorders are progressive diseases that cause irreversible damage and loss to neurons in specific brain areas. Examples of these disorders include Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These disorders share characteristics such as proteinopathies, selective neuronal vulnerability, and a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. The primary therapeutic goal for these conditions is to...
01:24Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It is characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremors, muscle rigidity, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and postural instability. Patients may notice hand tremors at rest, stiffness during movement, or a shuffling gait. In addition to motor features, non-motor symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood and behavioral changes, constipation, and cognitive impairment, all of which...
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
01:28Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists
Prokinetic agents are specialized medications that stimulate gastrointestinal (GI) motility, promoting food movement through the GI tract. Dopamine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, plays a significant role in this process, reducing GI motility and indirectly controlling the speed of digestion. Dopamine receptor antagonists, such as metoclopramide and domperidone, offer a unique advantage as prokinetic agents. By blocking the dopamine receptors, these drugs increase GI motility, improving food...
01:37Neural Regulation
Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.