Initial treatment of Parkinson's disease

Treatment of newly diagnosed or previously untreated patient with Parkinson's disease requires an individualized approach based largely on the severity of the manifestations. The choice of initial drug remains controversial, although levodopa offers the greatest therapeutic efficacy rates prior to the appearance of "on-off" effects. Profile determinations of the drug effect, demand scheduling, and use of anticholinergic drugs, amantadine, or bromocriptine during the later stages of the disease are the key to the presently available optimal treatment of Parkinson's disease.