Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A significant percentage of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) continue to experience motor fluctuations and dyskinesias despite the association of dopamine agonists and levodopa with COMT or MAO-B inhibitors. The use of apomorphine infusion is limited by compliance while deep brain stimulation is feasible only for a small number of patients mostly because of age constraints.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess prospectively the effectiveness of duodenal levodopa infusion on quality of life as well as motor features in patients with advanced PD. In all but 1 case levodopa infusion was stopped at nighttime.

METHODS:

We report the outcome of 22 PD patients, followed for up to 2 years, who were on continuous duodenal levodopa/carbidopa infusion through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

RESULTS:

We found a significant reduction in 'off' period duration as well as dyskinesia severity (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part IV, items 33 and 39). There was significant improvement in the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire as well as in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part II up to the 2-year follow-up. Five patients withdrew: 2 for poor compliance and 3 for adverse events (1 was related to percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy).

CONCLUSIONS:

These results demonstrate significant clinical improvements in quality of life and activities of daily living consistent with the occurrence of a satisfactory therapeutic response and a reduction in dyskinesia severity.

2008 S. Karger AG, Basel