title: Should levodopa therapy be started early or late?
abstract: Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that, in Parkinson's disease, the late-occurring fluctuations in response to levodopa therapy are due to progression of the disease rather than to the therapy. Therefore, treatment with carbidopa/levodopa should be started early, because postponement does not provide patients with added benefits but deprives them of the most satisfying period of the therapeutic response.
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa