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New Drugs for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
Author(s) -
LeWitt Peter A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1592/phco.20.2.26s.34631
Subject(s) - levodopa , parkinsonism , parkinson's disease , medicine , pallidotomy , dopaminergic , disease , pharmacology , dopamine , deep brain stimulation
Since the introduction of levodopa to treat Parkinson's disease (PD), several new therapies have been directed at improving symptom control, which can decline after a few years of levodopa therapy. Dopaminergic agents can serve as adjuncts or as alternatives to levodopa. In addition, a new class of drugs, catechol‐ O ‐methyltransferase inhibitors, can extend the duration of levodopa action. Although surgical options such as pallidotomy offer improvement of parkinsonism beyond the realm of pharmacologic treatment, judicious administration of drugs in combination can generally solve most problems of PD.