Upper airway muscles dysfunction and levodopa responsiveness in Parkinson's disease.
Pulmonary function tests were performed before and at different times after 250 mg L-Dopa in 12 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Six were de-novo patients, the other six patients had been taking L-Dopa over different periods. All patients had an abnormal basal flow-volume loop, which significantly improved only in de-novo patients. This improvement occurred early and was independent on improvement of neurological symptoms. The effect of L-Dopa on pulmonary function could be a useful test in differentiating PD from related extrapyramidal syndromes.
Brescia Morra
V
V
Department of Neurology, Second School of Medicine, University of Naples, Italy.
Polverino
M
M
De Luca
G
G
Landi
P
P
Galdi
A
A
Campanella
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*
D007980:Levodopa