title: Rationale for dopamine agonist use as monotherapy in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Dopamine agonists are increasingly being used in the initial treatment of patients with de-novo Parkinson's disease because they provide symptom relief and a low risk of the dyskinesia frequently associated with levodopa. Evidence is also mounting in preclinical models that dopamine agonists protect dopaminergic neurons from the toxic effects of oxidative stress and the by-products of dopamine and L-dopa metabolism. Ergot derivatives, such as pergolide, induce minor side-effects and provide significant and sustained improvements in motor function in patients with early Parkinson's disease. Dopamine agonists also appear to reduce the loss of functional dopamine transporters when used early in the disease course, and these factors combine to build a case for the use of dopamine agonists in early-stage Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Germany. johannes@caltech.edu
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents