title: Fluctuations in Parkinson's disease. Pathogenetic significance of levodopa's cerebral pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
abstract: The pathogenetic mechanisms which are responsible for the clinical manifestation of motor-fluctuations are poorly understood. Peripheral pharmacokinetics do obviously not play a significant role. For a better understanding of fluctuations exact knowledge and precise characterization of the levodopa induced motor-response (MR) might be useful. In a number of studies it has been demonstrated that this MR follows the "all or none" rule after a levodopa threshold concentration has been exceeded. Such a threshold is considered to exist in the plasma-compartiment as well as in the cerebral effect-compartiment. The specific character of the MR can be modified by the coadministration of dopamine-agonists. Dopamine-agonists lower the levodopa threshold and they reduce the time-lag between levodopa plasmaconcentration and MR. The duration of the MR can be prolonged but the intensity (amplitude) of the MR cannot be augmented. Most of these data to levodopa pharmacodynamics can be explained by a model which is presented in this paper and which is mainly based on cerebral pharmacokinetic mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Frankfurt/M., Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harder
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demisch
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bürklin
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stecker
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D007980:Levodopa; D001058:Apomorphine