title: Long-duration response to levodopa.
abstract: We measured the long-duration response to levodopa by changes in tapping rate in 16 patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing 3 to 5 days of levodopa withdrawal. "Off" tapping rates deteriorated 22% over the course of this holiday, the decline beginning 24 hours after levodopa withdrawal. Deterioration was more pronounced in the more affected hand in asymmetrically affected patients. A 2-hour infusion of levodopa after the levodopa holiday did not restore the long-duration response, although it produced a greater short-duration response than before the holiday. These observations indicate that the long-duration response is an important component of the therapeutic benefit of levodopa and is separable from the short-duration response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Nutt
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Woodward
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa