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Limitations of current Parkinson's disease therapy
Author(s) -
Rascol Olivier,
Payoux Pierre,
Ory Fabienne,
Ferreira Joaquim J.,
BrefelCourbon Christine,
Montastruc JeanLouis
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.10513
Subject(s) - parkinson's disease , levodopa , dopaminergic , medicine , disease , physical medicine and rehabilitation , mood , restless legs syndrome , psychosis , psychology , dopamine , neuroscience , psychiatry , neurology
Levodopa and other dopaminergic medications drastically improve the motor symptoms and quality of life of patients with Parkinson's disease in the early stages of the disease. However, once the “honeymoon” period has waned, usually after a few years of dopaminergic therapy, patients become progressively more disabled despite an ever more complex combination of available antiparkinsonian treatments. Sooner or later, they suffer from “dopa‐resistant” motor symptoms (speech impairment, abnormal posture, gait and balance problems), “dopa‐resistant” nonmotor signs (autonomic dysfunction, mood and cognitive impairment, sleep problems, pain) and/or drug‐related side effects (especially psychosis, motor fluctuations, and dyskinesias). Therefore, the current antiparkinsonian therapy cannot be considered as ideal with regard to both efficacy and safety. Ann Neurol 2003;53 (suppl 3):S3–S15