title: Parkinson's disease. Therapeutic strategies to improve patient function and quality of life.
abstract: Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related neuro-degenerative disorder characterized by slowness, stiffness, resting tremor, gait impairment, and postural instability. Levodopa is the most potent pharmacologic agent for symptom management and is associated with an increase in quality of life and longevity for patients with PD, but chronic use causes motor complications. The availability of several newer types of agents--dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors--gives physicians increased flexibility with regard to first-line therapy, adjunct therapy, and managing or reducing the frequency of motor complications and other side effects associated with chronic levodopa therapy.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Danisi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002230:Carbidopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D004338:Drug Combinations; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D007980:Levodopa; D002230:Carbidopa