Long-term tolerability and efficacy of cabergoline, a new long-acting dopamine agonist, in Parkinson's disease.
Motor fluctuations constitute a severe complication of chronic levodopa therapy. The addition of dopamine agonists may partially alleviate these responses; however, due to the short half-life of these drugs, several daily doses are required. Cabergoline is a new dopamine agonist with a long half-life and can be given in a single daily dose. Seventeen patients with severe fluctuations were treated with cabergoline, seven of them for > 1 year (up to 39 months). The motor status ameliorated and the percentage of "off" hours significantly decreased in the first year and did not increase significantly later during long-term follow-up. Cabergoline is a promising treatment for parkinsonian patients with motor fluctuations.
Inzelberg
R
R
Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
Nisipeanu
P
P
Rabey
M J
MJ
Korczyn
A D
AD
D000368:Aged; D000077465:Cabergoline; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004409:Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced; D004873:Ergolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D004873:Ergolines; D000077465:Cabergoline