ABSTRACT
Despite the significant symptomatic effects of levodopa, stable 24-h treatment responses are in the vast majority of patients replaced 2-3 years from the start of treatment by oscillations in motor symptoms (fluctuation, dyskinesia), amelioration of which requires addition of constant (physiological) stimulation of postsynaptic dopamine receptors. To some extent this is provided by Stalevo, which contains levodopa and two enzyme inhibitors: the DDC inhibitor carbidopa and the COMT inhibitor entacapone. The results obtained in the present study demonstrated the advantages of Stalevo over traditional agents in patients with the "wearing off" and "on-off" phenomena.
Subject(s)
Antiparkinson Agents/therapeutic use , Carbidopa/therapeutic use , Catechols/therapeutic use , Levodopa/therapeutic use , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Activities of Daily Living , Aged , Carbidopa/adverse effects , Catechols/adverse effects , Drug Combinations , Dyskinesias/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Levodopa/adverse effects , Male , Middle Aged , Motor Activity/drug effects , Outpatients , Severity of Illness Index , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Despite significant symptomatic effect of levodopa, in most patients the stable 24 hour's effect changed for alterations of movement symptoms (fluctuations, dyskinesia) after 2-3 years of the therapy. These complications may be reduced due to the constant (physiologic) stimulation of post-synaptic dopamine receptors that, to a certain degree, provides the drug stalevo, which contains levodopa and 2 enzyme inhibitors, dopa decarboxylase (carbidopa) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (entacapone). The results of the study demonstrated beneficial effects of stalevo as compared to traditional therapy in patients with "wearing off" and "on-off" phenomena.
