title: Levodopa alone and in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (Madopar) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease: A controlled clinical trial.
abstract: A combination of levodopa and the extracerebrally acting decarboxylase inhibitor benserazide (ratio 4:1) (Madopar), was compared with levodopa alone in a controlled double-blind clinical multicenter trial on 94 patients with Parkinson's disease. During 4 months of therapy levodopa + benserazide proved superior to levodopa on several accounts. Nausea and vomiting occurred with statistically significant less severity and frequency. Clinical improvement expressed through improvement in Webster rating occurred sooner and was all together greater. The treatment schedules did not differ with regard to other side effects, in particular involuntary movements and reduction in supine blood pressure. Neither treatment seemed to influence liver function, renal function and hematological parameters.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D065105:Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D001545:Benserazide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D065105:Aromatic Amino Acid Decarboxylase Inhibitors; D006834:Hydrazines; D007980:Levodopa; D001545:Benserazide