Rotigotine may control drooling in patients with Parkinson's Disease: Preliminary findings.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of rotigotine in controlling the drooling of Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients.


METHODS
We assessed 7 PD patients (Hoehn and Yahr scale >2.5) with three different clinical scores (Drooling Severity and Frequency Scale - DSFS, Drooling Rating Scale - DRS and Sialorrhea Clinical Scale for PD - SCS) before and after 4 weeks of therapy. Statistical differences were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank test.


RESULTS
We observed that rotigotine significantly improves drooling as measured by the lowering of the three scores (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Among non-motor symptoms of PD, drooling is one of the most embarrassing and disabling for patients. Current treatments are unsatisfactory and novel approaches are thus desirable. In this open-label pilot study we demonstrated on a small sample of patients that up to 4mg/24h of rotigotine, a non-ergolinic dopamine agonist with continuous transdermal delivery, may be helpful in the management of drooling in advanced PD.
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: t.schirinzi@yahoo.com.
Tommaso
T
Schirinzi
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Paola
P
Imbriani
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Alessio
A
D'Elia
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Giulia
G
Di Lazzaro
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Nicola Biagio
NB
Mercuri
Neurology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Antonio
A
Pisani
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000368:Aged; D000978:Antiparkinson Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012798:Sialorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000978:Antiparkinson Agents; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; D013876:Thiophenes; C047508:rotigotine
Deglutition and deglutition disorders; Drooling; Non motor symptoms; Parkinson’s Disease; Rotigotine; Sialorrhea