Neurological

Updated guidelines for the management of motor symptoms in early Parkinson’s disease

Subjects ” Movement disorders

HealthDay News – According to a report by the American Academy of Neurology Guideline Subcommittee published online in Neurology Nov. 15, initial levodopa treatment offers superior motor benefit compared to dopamine agonists in early Parkinson’s disease.

Tamara Pringsheim, MD, of the University of Calgary in Alberta. Canada and colleagues reviewed the current evidence on the options available for initiating dopaminergic treatment of motor symptoms in early Parkinson’s disease and developed recommendations for practice.

The researchers found that initial levodopa treatment provided better motor benefit compared to dopamine agonist treatment, while levodopa was more likely to cause dyskinesia than dopamine agonists. There was little evidence that any formulation or method of administration was superior when compared to different formulations of dopamine agonists. In terms of early disease motor symptoms, efficacy for long-acting forms of levodopa and levodopa with entacapone did not differ from that for immediate-release levodopa. The risk of impulse control disorders was higher with dopamine agonist use than with levodopa.

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“We carefully reviewed the available research on the effectiveness and potential risks of drugs used to treat motor symptoms in people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and found that levodopa is usually the best first treatment for these symptoms,” Pringsheim said in a statement. “Still, levodopa and other drugs have side effects, so it is important that a newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease discusses all options with their neurologist before deciding on the best treatment plan.”

Several authors have disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

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Movement Disorders Parkinson’s Disease

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