[New Therapeutic Options for the Individualised Titration of Levodopa]

Levodopa is the most effective medication in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In the course of the disease the storage facility of dopaminergic neurones deteriorates, so that the duration of the half-life period likewise converges. This results in fluctuations in performance, and also in dyskinesias as a further consequence of the narrowing therapeutic window. Therapeutically, this in turn leads to further fractioning of the levodopa dosage and a reduction of single-dose levels. There is, however, only limited scope for doing this with the conventional levodopa formulations. For this reason, the introduction of water-soluble microtablets à 5 / 1.25 mg levodopa / carbidopa can be regarded as a beneficial extension permitting for fine titration of the dopaminergic stimulation. Here we present this new therapeutic principle, the available data and concepts for clinical use.