Bromocriptine therapy in early-stage Parkinson's disease.
We evaluated bromocriptine monotherapy during the early stage of Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage I or II). Of the 120 patients registered as participants in this trial, 96 were studied. The follow-up period was 48 weeks. For the first 24 weeks they were all placed on bromocriptine with or without anticholinergic drugs; for the second 24 weeks, 75 of them were still kept on the same medication, with 21 requiring additional levodopa. Clinically, the former group showed a good response to the bromocriptine monotherapy, while the latter responded poorly to it (requiring in addition levodopa). We think that Parkinson's disease encompasses a heterogeneous group of patients of whom about 75% are well treated by bromocriptine alone at the early stages of the illness.
Fukuyama
H
H
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Kawamura
J
J
Akiguchi
I
I
Kimura
J
J
Imai
T
T
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D001971:Bromocriptine; D007980:Levodopa