Treatment options for early Parkinson's disease.

Abstract

Proper treatment of tremor in any clinical setting depends on correct diagnosis. Essential, or familial, tremor is symptomatic with movement and involves the limbs, head and voice. Parkinson's disease tremor occurs at rest, involves the jaw and limbs and is associated with bradykinesia, rigidity and falling. Parkinson's disease is treated with a number of medications, but levodopa, a dopamine precursor, is considered most effective. Other therapies in the early stages of Parkinson's disease may include neuroprotective agents, dopamine agonists, dopamine reuptake inhibitors, anticholinergics and/or amantadine. Polypharmacy is often necessary to minimize or avoid drug side effects.

• Authors: M Stacy, H J Brownlee
• Journal: American family physician (Am Fam Physician) Vol. 53 Issue 4 Pg. 1281-7 (Mar 1996) ISSN: 0002-838X [Print] United States
• PMID: 8629572 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiparkinson Agents
• Cholinergic Antagonists
• Dopamine Agonists
• Neuroprotective Agents
• Selegiline
• Levodopa
• Amantadine

Topics

• Algorithms
• Amantadine (therapeutic use)
• Antiparkinson Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Cholinergic Antagonists (therapeutic use)
• Cognition Disorders (drug therapy)
• Dopamine Agonists (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Levodopa (therapeutic use)
• Neuroprotective Agents (therapeutic use)
• Parkinson Disease (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Selegiline (therapeutic use)