{"id":27645,"date":"2021-12-20T11:37:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T11:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/touchneurology.com\/?p=27645"},"modified":"2023-04-26T12:11:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T11:11:47","slug":"27645","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/touchneurology.com\/parkinsons-disease\/journal-articles\/27645\/","title":{"rendered":"Update on Parkinson\u2019s Disease Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Parkinson\u2019s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that causes a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. The pathological hallmark of PD is the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta of the midbrain and the presence of Lewy bodies, abnormal accumulations of the protein alpha-synuclein. Loss of dopaminergic neurons causes the motor symptoms that are typical of PD, including tremor, typically at rest, stiffness or rigidity of the muscles, slowness of movement or bradykinesia, and postural instability. A person with PD may also have a characteristic decrease in facial expression, a soft and monotonous voice, difficulty swallowing and trouble with posture and coordination. A stooped posture, with decreased heel strike, which gives the gait a shuffling quality, is characteristic.1<\/span><\/p>\n

Of note, neuronal loss and Lewy bodies are features of many other brain regions in people with PD and are thought to be responsible for the non-motor symptoms of PD. Common non-motor symptoms of PD include cognitive dysfunction, hallucinations, orthostatic hypotension, sleep problems, constipation, anxiety, depression, fatigue and others.2<\/span><\/p>\n

Medications available prior to 2014<\/p>\n

Although first introduced in the 1960s, carbidopa\/levodopa remains the most effective treatment for PD.3<\/span>\u00a0Levodopa can cross the blood\u2013brain barrier into the brain, where it is converted to dopamine. Levodopa reduces tremor, rigidity and bradykinesia in people with PD. The dopa-decarboxylase inhibitor carbidopa, prevents levodopa from being broken down in the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. Carbidopa\/levodopa has traditionally been available in immediate-release and extended-release formulations. Side effects of carbidopa\/levodopa include nausea, fatigue, orthostatic hypotension and hallucinations.<\/p>\n

Other long-standing medications for PD include:4<\/span><\/p>\n