Levodopa (L Dopa)

The naturally occurring form of DIHYDROXYPHENYLALANINE and the immediate precursor of DOPAMINE. Unlike dopamine itself, it can be taken orally and crosses the blood-brain barrier. It is rapidly taken up by dopaminergic neurons and converted to DOPAMINE. It is used for the treatment of PARKINSONIAN DISORDERS and is usually given with agents that inhibit its conversion to dopamine outside of the central nervous system.

Also Known As:

Networked: 9058 relevant articles (999 outcomes, 1265 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Drug Context: Research Results

Experts

1.	Brotchie, Jonathan M: 58 articles (10/2015 - 02/2003)
2.	Bezard, Erwan: 57 articles (11/2015 - 03/2003)
3.	Jenner, Peter: 51 articles (11/2015 - 02/2002)
4.	Rascol, Olivier: 48 articles (12/2015 - 01/2003)
5.	Fox, Susan H: 48 articles (11/2015 - 11/2002)
6.	Hauser, Robert A: 47 articles (01/2016 - 09/2002)
7.	Di Paolo, Thérèse: 47 articles (12/2015 - 02/2002)
8.	Müller, Thomas: 47 articles (02/2015 - 05/2002)
9.	Cenci, M Angela: 42 articles (11/2015 - 01/2002)
10.	Lees, Andrew J: 39 articles (01/2015 - 09/2002)

Related Diseases

1.	Parkinson Disease (Parkinson's Disease) 04/01/1997 - "In conclusion, the dual-release formulation of L-Dopa either introduced or substituted for the best treatment available showed good clinical efficacy and tolerability in all stages of the evolution of idiopathic Parkinson's disease treatment in this 14-week open-label study." 05/01/2015 - "Levodopa (LD) is the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). " 01/01/2015 - "Levodopa replacement therapy has long provided the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). " 04/01/2014 - "Levodopa is the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease. " 02/25/2013 - "The treatment of patients suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease is highly challenging, because the efficacy of the "gold standard" levodopa declines with time. "
2.	Dyskinesias (Dyskinesia) 01/01/1997 - "The most important questions to be answered by such studies are: (1) Is the benefit derived from addon medication greater than that which could be brought about by further levodopa titration alone?, and (2) Can 'off' time be decreased and motor function improved without a proportionate increase in unwanted dyskinesia? " 08/01/2015 - "L-Dopa alone is the most effective medication available for treating the motor symptoms of PD patients, despite the greater incidence of involuntary movements. " 07/01/2012 - "Levodopa remains the most effective agent for relief of PD symptoms, but chronic levodopa therapy is associated with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias, and clinicians may therefore opt to postpone its use. " 01/01/2012 - "Furthermore, levodopa-induced dyskinesias are dramatically improved because STN stimulation permits an approximately 50% reduction in antiparkinsonian treatment. " 04/01/2010 - "Chronic L-dopa therapy restores physiological synaptic plasticity and behaviour in treated PD animals, but most of them, similarly to patients, exhibit a reduction in the efficacy of the drug and disabling AIMs (abnormal involuntary movements) defined, as a whole, as L-dopa-induced dyskinesia. "
3.	Parkinsonian Disorders (Parkinsonism) 01/01/2015 - "Mucuna pruriens is the best known natural source of L-dopa, the gold standard for treatment of Parkinsonism. " 08/01/2006 - "Parkinsonism improved dramatically after levodopa therapy. " 03/01/2003 - "All 3 patients responded dramatically to treatment with levodopa, and parkinsonism spontaneously improved or remitted over months. " 01/01/2007 - "We describe a patient with juvenile levodopa-responsive Parkinsonism who reported a dramatic response to cigarette smoking with transient but marked improvement of motor symptoms associated with oculogyric crises and psychotic behavior. " 12/01/1999 - "However, a marked improvement of all clinical symptoms with a low dose of L-dopa was reported in AR-DRD/parkinsonism patients. "
4.	Tremor (Tremors) 01/01/2015 - "Levodopa dramatically improved the tremor. " 09/01/2010 - "Levodopa remained effective in most patients in relieving motor symptoms including tremor. " 03/01/2007 - "In both cases, levodopa dramatically improved the tremor. " 08/01/1999 - "Two patients had resting and postural tremor, which showed a marked improvement with treatment with levodopa. " 11/01/2014 - "Similarly, harmonic oscillations were significantly greater in patients with subjective tremor reduction upon l-Dopa administration. "
5.	Hypokinesia (Bradykinesia) 01/01/1980 - "Levodopa, orally administrated to these five patients during 8 days to 6 weeks in dosages of 75 to 600 mg per day, induced in all a marked improvement of the hypokinesia and/or rigidity, speech and social behaviour. " 08/01/2014 - "l-Dopa only slightly improved the characteristics of APAs in freezers but was effective to improve gait hypokinesia. " 07/01/2014 - "Levodopa mildly improved bradykinesia in 4 patients. " 08/01/2012 - "The effects of levodopa on both local and distant synchronization at 60-90 Hz correlated with the degree of improvement in bradykinesia-rigidity as did local STN activity at 300-400 Hz. Despite this, there were no effects of movement type, nor interactions between movement type and levodopa in the STN, nor in the coherence between STN and M1. " 06/01/2005 - "We found that the bradykinesia in Parkinsonian subjects improved by both levodopa medication and STN stimulation. "

Related Drugs and Biologics

1.	Levodopa (L Dopa)
2.	Dopamine (Intropin)
3.	Carbidopa (Lodosyn)
4.	Dopamine Agonists (Dopamine Agonist)
5.	Bromocriptine (Parlodel)
6.	Dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa)
7.	Benserazide
8.	entacapone (Comtan)
9.	ropinirole (Requip)
10.	pramipexol (pramipexole)

Related Therapies and Procedures

1.	Pallidotomy
2.	Deep Brain Stimulation
3.	Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
4.	Transplants (Transplant)
5.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy)