Parkinson's disease: managing symptoms and preserving function.
Two strategies of drug therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD) are neuroprotective and symptomatic. In early PD, selegiline may delay need for symptomatic treatment, but whether this represents a delay in disease progression remains controversial. The decision to begin symptomatic therapy depends on how disabling or troublesome symptoms are to the patient. Anticholinergics are often used as monotherapy for alleviation of early tremor. When levodopa is added, it may be reasonable to begin with the controlled-release form. The variety of dopamine agonists used as adjunctive agents is increasing. Research continues on surgical therapies and fetal tissue transplantation.
Sweeney
P J
PJ
Department of Neurology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH, USA.
D000547:Amantadine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012642:Selegiline / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D012642:Selegiline; D007980:Levodopa; D000547:Amantadine