Orthostatic stability with intravenous levodopa.
Intravenous levodopa has been used in a multitude of research studies due to its more predictable pharmacokinetics compared to the oral form, which is used frequently as a treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD). Levodopa is the precursor for dopamine, and intravenous dopamine would strongly affect vascular tone, but peripheral decarboxylase inhibitors are intended to block such effects. Pulse and blood pressure, with orthostatic changes, were recorded before and after intravenous levodopa or placebo-after oral carbidopa-in 13 adults with a chronic tic disorder and 16 tic-free adult control subjects. Levodopa caused no statistically or clinically significant changes in blood pressure or pulse. These data add to previous data that support the safety of i.v. levodopa when given with adequate peripheral inhibition of DOPA decarboxylase.
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO , USA.
Shan H
SH
Siddiqi
Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO , USA.
Mary L
ML
Creech
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO , USA ; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO , USA ; Department of Radiology, Anatomy & Neurobiology, and Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MO , USA.
Kevin J
KJ
Black
Blood pressure; Carbidopa; Heart rate; Intravenous; Levodopa; Randomized controlled trial; Tourette syndrome