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Zonisamide improves wearing-off in Parkinson's disease: A randomized, double-blind study
Miho Murata1, Kazuko Hasegawa2, Ichiro Kanazawa3
1Department of Neurology, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
Summary
Zonisamide 50 mg daily effectively reduced "off" time in Parkinson's disease patients experiencing wearing-off phenomena. This treatment demonstrated significant efficacy without increasing adverse events like dyskinesia.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Previous research indicated zonisamide (50 mg/d) improved wearing-off symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) without exacerbating dyskinesia.
- Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of zonisamide in managing "off" time in patients with Parkinson's disease.
- To assess the safety and tolerability of zonisamide treatment in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in Japan.
- Patients with PD and wearing-off symptoms received either zonisamide (25 or 50 mg/d) or placebo for 12 weeks, in addition to their existing therapies.
- The primary endpoint was the change in daily "off" time, measured via patient diaries.
Main Results:
- Zonisamide 50 mg/d significantly reduced daily "off" time by 0.719 hours compared to placebo (P=0.005).
- Adverse events, including dyskinesia and hallucinations, were comparable between zonisamide and placebo groups.
- Somnolence incidence was slightly higher in the zonisamide groups (3.1% for 25 mg, 6.3% for 50 mg) than placebo (2.3%).
Conclusions:
- Zonisamide 50 mg/d is effective in reducing "off" time for Parkinson's disease patients experiencing wearing-off.
- The findings confirm the therapeutic benefit of zonisamide in managing a key symptom of Parkinson's disease.
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