title: [The results of drug holiday in Parkinson's disease].
abstract: The transitory suppression of L-dopa in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease improves motor response upon reintroduction of the drug although this improvement is not constant. The degree and duration of clinical improvement obtained following L-dopa drug holiday were studied and the factors which may intervene in the result of 32 patients with Parkinson's disease were analyzed. Improvement was found in 100% (24.9 +/- 6.7%) with significant differences being observed in the degree of disability (p < 0.05) and the final decrease of the doses of L-dopa (p < 0.05). Improvement was maintained during 10.3 +/- 7.9 weeks. Linear regression studies did not show any relation between the length of the drug holiday, longer than 4 days, and the degree and maintenance of improvement or final decrease of the doses of L-dopa. The authors consider this procedure useful in patients with important fluctuations in treatment response or with important refractory side effects to other measures.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General de Galicia, Clínico Universitario, Santiago de Compostela, La Couruña.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lema
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa
vernacular_title: Resultados de vacaciones de dopa en la enfermedad de Parkinson.