Parkinson's Disease - Levodopa Complications

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a readily recognized clinical syndrome, characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia and loss of postural reflexes. The introduction of levodopa transformed our management of this disease. As our experience has increased the long term side effects of levodopa have become more apparent. Levodopa complications comprise: wearing off, motor fluctuations, and psychiatric complications. The complexity of these clinical phenomena has been worked out with time and is now well-recognized. A number of management strategies can ameliorate these long-term complications. This article reviews the current management of late-stage Parkinson's disease.