[Influence of levodopa on cognition of idiopathic Parkinson's disease].
BACKGROUND
Idiopathic Parkinson's disease induces alterations both motor and cognitive. Levodopa, the treatment of choice, offers initial improvement, but causes long term important complications. It is ignored if it provokes or not a similar situation in cognitive function.


METHODS
Two groups of idiopathic parkinsonian patients were studied. One of them was using levodopa as a regular treatment, the other had de novo patients. A group of healthy controls was also studied. The levodopa group was evaluated when levodopa plasma concentration was maximum and when it was minimum. A cognitive battery was used in order to assess the cognitive status of all subjects.


RESULTS
Significant differences between the two groups of patients and the healthy controls were found when the treated group had a maximum plasmatic concentration of levodopa. There were also significant differences when they had a minimum concentration in comparison with the healthy controls. The performances of the patients taking levodopa varied between both conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
Parkinson's disease provokes a wide variety of cognitive alterations, therefore basal ganglia can be related to a more general function as learning and storing cognitive and motor programs. Levodopa influences in a different way different cognitive functions differently and its influence varies between highest and lowest plasmatic concentrations periods. These results allow us to draw important conclusions about the cognitive alterations caused by the natural course of Parkinson's disease, the introduction of treatment with levodopa and the relationship between basal ganglia and human cognition.
Alonso-Prieto
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E
Departamento de Neuropsicología, Instituto de Neurología y Neurocirugía Vedado, Ciudad Habana, Cuba. esther.alonso@infomed.sld.cu
Michel-Esteban
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E
Trujillo-Matienzo
C
C
Palmero-Soler
E
E
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D007980:Levodopa