3‐O‐Methyldopa and the response to levodopa in Parkinson's disease

John G. Nutt, William R. Woodward, Stephen T. Gancher, Dawn Merrick

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plasma 3‐O‐methyldopa (3OMD) concentrations in parkinsonian patients treated with levodopa on a long‐term basis reflect daily levodopa dosage and do not vary markedly during the day. Oral challenges with 3OMD reduce the clinical response to levodopa infusions, but 3OMD is no more potent than phenylalanine in this regard. These observations, plus the fact that 3OMD makes a small contribution to the total concentration of large neutral amino acids competing with levodopa for transport at the blood‐‐brain barrier, support the contention that 3OMD is not an important determinant of clinical response to levodopa.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)584-588
Number of pages5
JournalAnnals of Neurology
Volume21
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1987

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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