Conference paper

'BAD GUYS' AMONG THE ANTIPARKINSONIAN DRUGS

Zvezdan Pirtošek ; Centre for Extrapyramidal Disorders, department of Neurology, UMCL, Zaloška 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

The first effective drugs for Parkinson’s disease (PD) were anticholinergics, introduced at the end of 19.th century by Charcot. Since the introduction of levodopa in the sixties of the previous century, many new drugs have emerged for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: dopamine agonists (ergot as well as nonergot,
bromocriptine, pergolide, mirapexine, ropinirole), MAO B inhibitors
(selegiline, rasagiline), amantadine, COMT inhibitors (entacapone, tolcapone).
In all stages of the disease, levodopa remains the most effective drug for improving motor symptoms in PD. However, long term treatment with levodopa is accompanied by the development of motor fluctuations, dyskinesia, cognitive and neuropsychiatric adverse effects and increasingly diverse spectrum of drugs is
needed to alleviate motor and nonmotor symptoms.
Some of these drugs have caused considerable concern and controversies and were regarded at certain points as the ‘bad guys’ of Parkinson’s disease pharmacological armamentarium. In the article, a short review of ‘bad guys’ including anticholinergics, selegiline, tolcapone and dopamine agonists, is given.

Keywords

Parkinson’s disease; drugs; adverse effects; treatment

Hrčak ID:

32801

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/32801

Publication date:

24.2.2009.

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