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Modulatory effect of clozapine on levodopa response in parkinson's disease: A preliminary study
Author(s) -
Arevalo Gonzalo J. Gomez,
Gershanik Oscar S.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.870080317
Subject(s) - levodopa , clozapine , parkinson's disease , psychosis , dopaminergic , medicine , psychology , pharmacology , dopamine , anesthesia , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , disease , psychiatry
Clozapine has been shown not only to be effective in ameliorating dopaminomimetic psychosis but to improve parkinsonian symptomatology. Six parkinsonian patients with motor fluctuations under levodopa treatment and severe interdose “off” periods (believed to be mediated by an inhibitory effect of subthreshold levels of levodopa) underwent a trial of clozapine. The effects of this drug on levodopa response were measured by means of an acute levodopa test both before and after receiving clozapine. After 1 month of treatment, clozapine 25 mg/day reduced parkinsonian scores at all stages of the evaluation (pre‐levodopa “off,” “on,” and interdose “off”). The effect was consistently more significant for the interdose “off.” Clozapine could be exerting its beneficial effects through the inhibition of an inhibitory effect mediated by low‐level dopaminergic stimulation, thus behaving as an apparent antiparkinsonian drug.