title: Parkinson's disease: medical and surgical treatment.
abstract: It has been over three decades since the introduction of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine or levodopa therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD). The early levodopa trials were driven by recognition of a profound cerebral dopamine deficiency state in this disorder. Whereas dopamine fails to cross the blood brain barrier and hence is ineffective as therapy, the amino acid precursor, dopa, is transported across this barrier and provides a substrate for dopamine synthesis. Levodopa is converted to dopamine within the brain by dopa decarboxylase, replenishing central dopamine stores and potentially reversing the motor symptoms of PD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Mayo Medical School, Chair, Mayo Clinic Division of Movement Disorders, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ahlskog
mesh_terms: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000637:transplantation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation; D005917:Globus Pallidus / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009474:Neurons / Q000637:transplantation; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000601:surgery; D013788:Thalamus / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D007980:Levodopa