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3‐ O ‐Methyldopa and the response to levodopa in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Nutt John G.,
Woodward William R.,
Gancher Stephen T.,
Merrick Dawn
Publication year - 1987
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.410210610
Subject(s) - levodopa , parkinson's disease , methyldopa , medicine , pharmacology , disease , psychology , blood pressure
Plasma 3‐ O ‐methyldopa (3OMD) concentrations in parkinsonian patients treated with levodopa on a long‐term basis reflect daily levodopa dosage and do not vary markedly during the day. Oral challenges with 3OMD reduce the clinical response to levodopa infusions, but 3OMD is no more potent than phenylalanine in this regard. These observations, plus the fact that 3OMD makes a small contribution to the total concentration of large neutral amino acids competing with levodopa for transport at the blood‐‐brain barrier, support the contention that 3OMD is not an important determinant of clinical response to levodopa.