title: Combination of two different dopamine agonists in the management of Parkinson's disease.
abstract: An alternative approach to the symptomatic treatment of parkinsonian patients with and without motor fluctuations is to use dual dopamine agonists. The aim of this study was to investigate the symptomatic effect of administrating a second dopamine agonist to parkinsonian patients already assuming pramipexole or ropinirole. As the second dopamine agonist we chose cabergoline, a drug with a long half life, whose pharmacological profile differs from that of the newer non-ergot-derived dopamine-receptor agonists. In this pilot study we enrolled 27 patients: 21 patients had motor fluctuations and were receiving levodopa plus a dopamine agonist, and 6 patients without motor fluctuations were receiving a dopamine agonist without levodopa. This open study shows that dual dopamine agonist therapy (cabergoline plus pramipexole or ropinirole) may be used in the symptomatic treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease receiving therapy with or without levodopa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, La Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università 30, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stocchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berardelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: De Pandis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Modugno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D000077465:Cabergoline; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004873:Ergolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077487:Pramipexole; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D004873:Ergolines; D007211:Indoles; D013844:Thiazoles; C046649:ropinirole; D007980:Levodopa; D000077487:Pramipexole; D000077465:Cabergoline