Daily motor performance after switching levodopa to melevodopa: an open-label on advanced Parkinson's disease with "delayed-on" and/or"wearing-off".

Abstract

AIM:

Aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy, tolerability and quality-of-life measures to melevodopa in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations (MFs).

METHODS:

A total of 37 patients with advanced PD and MFs participated in the study. Patients were switched from standard l-dopa/carbidopa to melevodopa and were treated for 10 weeks.

RESULTS:

Assessment of "On-Day" time demonstrated improvement to about 0.7 hour in the melevodopa treatment. The benefit was greater in patients with "delayed-on" (P=0.002) and especially in those with both "delayed-on" and "wearing-off" (P<0.001). Most patients showed a significant improvement in PDQ-39 total score (P=0.002) and PSI distress domain (P<0.001). Instead, not significant difference was observed in patients with only wearing-off.

CONCLUSION:

These data show that melevodopa is an effective agent for improving daily motor performance and quality-of-life in PD with "delayed-on", also in association with "wearing-off".

• Authors: D Bosco, M Plastino, F Bosco, A Fava, A Rotondo
• Journal: Minerva medica (Minerva Med) Vol. 102 Issue 2 Pg. 125-32 (Apr 2011) ISSN: 0026-4806 [Print] Italy
• PMID: 21483399 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antiparkinson Agents
• Levodopa
• levodopa methyl ester

Topics

• Antiparkinson Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Drug Substitution
• Female
• Humans
• Levodopa (adverse effects, analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Parkinson Disease (drug therapy, psychology)
• Psychomotor Performance (drug effects)
• Quality of Life