title: Effects of lisuride on blink reflex habituation in Parkinson disease.
abstract: The blink reflex presents a tendency to habituation (a gradual diminution of the amplitude of the response during repetitive stimulation). Electromyographic analysis of this reflex makes it possible to quantify this phenomenon. A lack of the habituation of the blink reflex is a typical feature of Parkinson disease. L-Dopa and amantadine, but not anticholinergic drugs, are able to partly reverse these abnormalities in blink reflex habituation to a normal pattern. Lisuride, a dopamine agonist with serotoninergic activity, has been recently proposed as antiparkinsonian agent. In our study we observed that lisuride has a positive effect on blink reflex habituation in Parkinson disease. A good correlation between the improvement of this electrophysiological parameter and clinical akinesia was seen. Mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of lisuride are complex, but this drug usually has a postsynaptic effect on D2 receptors. Our data suggest that these receptors play an important role in blink reflex habituation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001767:Blinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D004873:Ergolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008090:Lisuride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004873:Ergolines; D007980:Levodopa; D000547:Amantadine; D008090:Lisuride