ABSTRACT
Background: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative process that in addition to other problems leads to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Heart Rate Variability is a normal phenomena that appears during deep breathing and valsalva maneuver, but in some diseases such as Parkinson's Disease, may diminishes. Levodopa is a principal agent in treating Parkinson's Disease, so, it is probable that it would cause or worsen autonomic nervous system dysfunction in some patients
Materials and Methods: in this study, effect of levodopa treatment upon occurrence and severity of dysfunction in cardiovascular system was investigated, by the aim of putting a comparision on incidence of dysfunction, with and without levodopa treatment. With companionship of neurologists in 501 Army Hospital and other hospitals in Tehran, Patients with Parkinson's disease who were between 41-70 years of ago, who had our entrance factors, were evaluated with standard autonomic electrophysiologic tests. Patients with dementia and who received other agents with effects on autonomic nervous system, were excluded. Cases of study were patients who had received the last dosage [100/10 mg lovodopa] exactly 2 hours before test performances, and controls were who had received the last dosage exactly 8 hours prior to tests
Results: mean and standard deviation of age of case and control groups were compared. In the former it was as 55.2+/-8.7 and in the latter as 55.3+/-7.2, which have no significant statistical difference. Mean and standard deviation of E: I ratio in case and control groups were in order, as 1.18+/-0.11 and 1.25+/-0.1 and of valsalva ratio as 1.33+/-0.15 and 1.44+/-0.9 and none of them with statisitical differences. Severity of electrophysilogic dysfunction in both groups was compared and no differences were seen
Conclusions: for further evaluation for effect of levodopa treatment on autonomic cardiovascular function, more studies and with extensive sampling and cohort study are advised. According to complications of parkinson's disease and vast economic and anthorpoetic costs to societies, it is essential to make effective plans for control of these complications and usage of appropriate drugs