Comparison of combination pergolide and levodopa to levodopa alone after 63 months of treatment

We retrospectively compared the clinical state of 14 patients with Parkinson's disease who took pergolide continuously for 63 +/- 17 months (Group I) to that of 12 similar patients who started pergolide and then stopped it after 60 +/- 5 days (Group II). Disability measured during the "on" state did not worsen during the observations period in Group I patients, whereas disability in Group II showed significant deterioration. There were no significant differences in the progression of motor fluctuations between the two groups. Combination treatment with pergolide and levodopa is effective long-term symptomatic therapy for advanced Parkinson's disease and deserves more rigorous study to determine whether or not it also retards progression of Parkinson's disease.