Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Parkinsonism and levodopa: a five-year experience

P Delaney, J Fermaglich

Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

|November 1, 1976

Summary

Long-term levodopa treatment for Parkinson's disease initially improves symptoms but leads to disease progression and complications in nearly half of patients after five years. This suggests Parkinson's is more complex than a simple dopamine deficiency.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

10-Year Review of B Pertussis Related Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Admissions

Irish medical journal·2019

Same author

Clinical audit of children with permanent tooth injuries treated at a dental hospital in Ireland.

European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry·2011

Same author

In vivo molecular imaging of somatostatin receptors in pancreatic islet cells and neuroendocrine tumors by miniaturized confocal laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy.

Endocrinology·2010

Same author

Dynamic in vivo imaging of microvasculature and perfusion by miniaturized confocal laser microscopy.

European surgical research. Europaische chirurgische Forschung. Recherches chirurgicales europeennes·2008

Same author

In vivo confocal laser endomicroscopy of the human liver: a novel method for assessing liver microarchitecture in real time.

Endoscopy·2008

Same author

In-vivo confocal real-time mini-microscopy in animal models of human inflammatory and neoplastic diseases.

Endoscopy·2007

Area of Science:

Neurology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology

Background:

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily characterized by motor symptoms.
Levodopa is the most effective medication for managing Parkinson's disease symptoms.
The long-term efficacy and potential complications of levodopa therapy require ongoing investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the long-term effects of continuous levodopa treatment in Parkinson's disease patients.
To assess the durability of therapeutic response and the incidence of disease progression and complications over five years.

Main Methods:

A cohort of seventy patients with Parkinson's disease received continuous levodopa therapy.
Patient outcomes, including symptom improvement, disease progression, and treatment complications, were monitored over a five-year period.

Main Results:

Ninety percent of patients initially improved within the first year of levodopa treatment.
After five years, only 48% of patients showed sustained improvement, while 48% experienced disease progression.
Non-fatal treatment complications increased in frequency over the five-year study duration.

Conclusions:

Continuous levodopa therapy demonstrates diminishing efficacy for Parkinson's disease over five years.
The observed deterioration suggests Parkinson's disease pathophysiology may extend beyond striatal dopamine deficiency.
Levodopa's role in Parkinson's disease treatment may involve more than simple dopamine replacement.

Related Experiment Videos