Abstract
We measured the long-duration response to levodopa by changes in tapping rate in 16 patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing 3 to 5 days of levodopa withdrawal. 'Off' tapping rates deteriorated 22% over the course of this holiday, the decline beginning 24 hours after levodopa withdrawal. Deterioration was more pronounced in the more affected hand in asymmetrically affected patients. A 2-hour infusion of levodopa after the levodopa holiday did not restore the long-duration response, although it produced a greater short-duration response than before the holiday. These observations indicate that the long-duration response is an important component of the therapeutic benefit of levodopa and is separable from the short-duration response.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1613-1616 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Neurology |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 8 |
State | Published - Aug 1995 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology