Seven-year follow-up study of bromocriptine therapy for Parkinson's disease.
A 7-year nationwide study of bromocriptine monotherapy and combination therapy with bromocriptine and levodopa in Parkinson's disease is reported. Of 22 patients who had been on bromocriptine monotherapy for 7 years (group B), 16 remained improved or remained in the same stages of Hoehn and Yahr, and no wearing-off phenomenon or dyskinesia was observed. In another 56 patients who were started on bromocriptine alone, but in whom combination therapy with levodopa was instituted at some time in the 7 years (group BL), disease progressed faster than in group B. A wearing-off phenomenon and dyskinesia occurred in 34% and 5.4% of the patients, respectively. These manifestations appeared only after initiation of levodopa. The favorable course of group B suggests possible neuroprotective effects of bromocriptine or may be due to the inevitable selection of patients who had a favorable course originally.
Yanagisawa
N
N
Department of Medicine (Neurology), Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Kanazawa
I
I
Goto
I
I
Kowa
H
H
Kuno
S
S
Mizuno
Y
Y
Tashiro
K
K
Ogawa
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects
D001971:Bromocriptine; D007980:Levodopa