title: Current pharmacotherapeutic treatment options in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: Treatment options for Parkinson's disease have greatly expanded in recent years. Pharmacological treatments, such as levodopa, dopamine receptor agonists, anticholinergic medications, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, and the catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, remain the mainstay of therapeutic intervention and are reviewed. Additionally, the traditional and new roles for amantadine are explained. Despite the great efficacy of levodopa, "levodopa-sparing strategies" in early Parkinson's disease are emphasized in order to delay the development of difficult-to-manage motor fluctuations and dyskinesias.
authors.affiliation: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Movement Disorders Program, Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Evanston and Glenbrook Hospitals, Evanston and Glenview, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rezak
mesh_terms: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009570:Nitriles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D009570:Nitriles; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D007980:Levodopa; C071192:entacapone