Zonisamide in Parkinson's disease: a current update.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Neurology

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopamine depletion.
• Current therapies for PD symptoms are limited, necessitating the exploration of novel treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the efficacy and utility of Zonisamide (ZNS) in managing various motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
• To evaluate ZNS as a potential therapeutic agent for PD based on existing clinical evidence.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published literature including randomized clinical trials, case series, observational studies, and case reports.
• Databases searched: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Ovid, and clinicaltrials.gov using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• UPDRS III (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III) was a primary efficacy endpoint in most randomized clinical trials.

Main Results:

• Evidence suggests ZNS is effective as an adjunctive therapy for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease, particularly when used with levodopa.
• Positive results favoring ZNS were observed in most randomized clinical trials assessing motor function.
• The efficacy of ZNS for non-motor symptoms of PD is not well-established and requires further investigation.

Conclusions:

• Zonisamide demonstrates efficacy in improving motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease as an add-on treatment.
• Further research is crucial to ascertain the effectiveness of ZNS in addressing the non-motor aspects of Parkinson's disease.