An article in the July issue of the Archives of Neurology reports that the drugs levodopa and pramipexole both appear to be reasonable options as initial therapy for Parkinson disease, but they are associated with different efficacy and adverse effects.
Levodopa and Pramipexole are used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease including tremors (shaking), stiffness, and slowness of movement. Levodopa may also improve your gait (walk), posture, swallowing, speech, handwriting, vigor, alertness, and sense of well-being and may control excess salivation and seborrhea (oily, crusty, scaly skin).
Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, debilitating disease without a cure. There also is no preventive or restorative treatment available. In the United States, at least 500,000 people are believed to suffer from Parkinson's disease, and about 50,000 new cases are reported annually. The incidence is expected to increase as the average age of the population increases. The disorder appears to be slightly more common in men than women.
Parkinson disease is believed to be related to low levels of the important neurotransmitter (messenger) dopamine in certain parts of the brain. When the drug levodopa is taken orally, it crosses through the "blood-brain barrier" and is converted to dopamine. Another drug, carbidopa, is added to levodopa to prevent the breakdown of levodopa before it crosses into the brain. Pramipexole is one of several drugs that mimic the role of dopamine in the brain, causing the neurons to react as they would to dopamine.
The Parkinson Study Group conducted a multicenter, parallel-group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial to compare initial treatment with pramipexole vs. levodopa in early Parkinson disease, followed by levodopa supplementation, with respect to the development of motor complications, other adverse events, and functional and quality of life outcomes. Robert G. Holloway, M.D., M.P.H., of the University of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., and colleagues reported the results for the Parkinson Study Group.