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- Title
New pharmacological options for treating advanced Parkinson's disease.
- Authors
Devos, David; Moreau, Caroline; Dujardin, Kathy; Cabantchik, Ioav; Defebvre, Luc; Bordet, Regis
- Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) affects about 1% of the over 60 population and is characterized by a combination of motor symptoms (rest tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, stooped posture and freezing of gait [FoG]) and non-motor symptoms (including psychiatric and cognitive disorders). Given that the loss of dopamine in the striatum is the main pathochemical hallmark of PD, pharmacological treatment of the disease has focused on restoring dopaminergic neurotransmission and thus improving motor symptoms. However, the currently licensed medications have several major limitations. Firstly, dopaminergic medications modulate all the key steps in dopamine transmission other than the most powerful determinant of extracellular dopamine levels: the activity of the presynaptic dopamine transporter. Secondly, other monoaminergic neurotransmission systems (ie noradrenergic, cholinergic and glutamatergic systems are altered in PD and may be involved in a variety of motor and non-motor symptoms. Thirdly, today's randomized clinical trials are primarily designed to assess the efficacy and safety of treatments for motor fluctuations and dyskinesia. Fourthly, there is a need for disease- modifying treatments (DMTs) that slow disease progression and reduce the occurrence of the very disabling disorders seen in late-stage PD.
- Publication
Clinical therapeutics, 2013, Vol 35, Issue 10, p1640
- ISSN
1879-114X
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.08.011