INTRODUCTION
Several types of abnormal movement are recognized. Tremor consists of a rhythmic oscillatory movement around a joint and is best characterized by its relation to activity. Tremor at rest is characteristic of parkinsonism, when it is often associated with rigidity and an impairment of voluntary activity. Tremor may occur during maintenance of sustained posture (postural tremor) or during movement (intention tremor). A conspicuous postural tremor is the cardinal feature of benign essential or familial tremor. Intention tremor occurs in patients with a lesion of the brainstem or cerebellum, especially when the superior cerebellar peduncle is involved, and may also occur as a manifestation of toxicity from alcohol or certain other drugs.
Chorea consists of irregular, unpredictable, involuntary muscle jerks that occur in different parts of the body and impair voluntary activity. In some instances, the proximal muscles of the limbs are most severely affected, and because the abnormal movements are then particularly violent, the term ballismus has been used to describe them. Chorea may be hereditary or may occur as a complication of a number of general medical disorders and of therapy with certain drugs.
Abnormal movements may be slow and writhing in character (athetosis) and in some instances are so sustained that they are more properly regarded as abnormal postures (dystonia). Athetosis or dystonia may occur with perinatal brain damage, with focal or generalized cerebral lesions, as an acute complication of certain drugs, as an accompaniment of diverse neurologic disorders, or as an isolated inherited phenomenon of uncertain cause known as idiopathic torsion dystonia or dystonia musculorum deformans. Its physiologic basis is uncertain, and treatment is unsatisfactory.
Tics are sudden coordinated abnormal movements that tend to occur repetitively, particularly about the face and head, especially in children, and can be suppressed voluntarily for short periods of time. Common tics include repetitive sniffing or shoulder shrugging. Tics may be single or multiple and transient or chronic. Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome is characterized by chronic multiple tics; its pharmacologic management is discussed at the end of this chapter.
Many of the movement disorders have been attributed to disturbances of the basal ganglia, but the precise function of these anatomic structures is not yet fully understood, and it is not possible to relate individual symptoms to involvement at specific sites.
PARKINSONISM (PARALYSIS AGITANS)
INTRODUCTION
Parkinsonism is characterized by a combination of rigidity, bradykinesia, tremor, and postural instability that can occur for a variety of reasons but is usually idiopathic. The pathophysiologic basis of the idiopathic disorder may relate to exposure to some unrecognized neurotoxin or to the occurrence of oxidation reactions with the generation of free radicals. Studies in twins suggest that genetic factors may also be important, especially when the disease occurs in patients under age 50. Parkinson's disease is generally progressive, leading to increasing disability unless effective treatment is provided.
The normally high concentration of dopamine in the basal ganglia of the brain is reduced in parkinsonism, and pharmacologic attempts to restore dopaminergic activity with levodopa and dopamine agonists have been successful in alleviating many of the clinical features of the disorder. An alternative but complementary approach has been to restore the normal balance of cholinergic and dopaminergic influences on the basal ganglia with antimuscarinic drugs. The pathophysiologic basis for these therapies is that in idiopathic parkinsonism, dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra that normally inhibit the output of GABAergic cells in the corpus striatum are lost (Figure 28-1). (In contrast, Huntington's chorea involves the loss of some cholinergic neurons and an even greater loss of the GABAergic cells that exit the corpus striatum.) Drugs that induce parkinsonian syndromes either are dopamine receptor antagonists (eg, antipsychotic agents; see Chapter 29) or lead to the destruction of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons (eg, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine [MPTP]; see below).
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Figure 28-1. Schematic representation of the sequence of neurons involved in parkinsonism and Huntington's chorea. Top: Dopaminergic neurons (color) originating in the substantia nigra normally inhibit the GABAergic output from the striatum, whereas cholinergic neurons (gray) exert an excitatory effect. Middle: In parkinsonism, there is a selective loss of dopaminergic neurons (dashed, color). Bottom: In Huntington's chorea, some cholinergic neurons may be lost (gray), but even more GABAergic neurons (black) degenerate. |
LEVODOPA
Introduction
Dopamine does not cross the blood-brain barrier and if given into the peripheral circulation has no therapeutic effect in parkinsonism. However, (-)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-l-alanine (levodopa), the immediate metabolic precursor of dopamine, does enter the brain (via an L-amino acid transporter, LAT), where it is decarboxylated to dopamine (see Figure 6-5). Several noncatecholamine dopamine receptor agonists have also been developed and may lead to clinical benefit, as discussed below.
Dopamine receptors are discussed in detail in Chapters 21 and 29. Dopamine receptors of the D1 type are located in the zona compacta of the substantia nigra and presynaptically on striatal axons coming from cortical neurons and from dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. The D2 receptors are located postsynaptically on striatal neurons and presynaptically on axons in the substantia nigra belonging to neurons in the basal ganglia. The benefits of dopaminergic antiparkinsonism drugs appear to depend mostly on stimulation of the D2receptors, but D1-receptor stimulation may also be required for maximal benefit and one of the newer drugs is D3-selective. Dopamine agonist or partial agonist ergot derivatives such as lergotrile and bromocriptine that are powerful stimulators of the D2 receptors have antiparkinsonism properties, whereas certain dopamine blockers that are selective D2 antagonists can induce parkinsonism.
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Figure 6-5. Biosynthesis of catecholamines. The rate-limiting step, conversion of tyrosine to dopa, can be inhibited by metyrosine (a-methyltyrosine). The alternative pathways shown by the dashed arrows have not been found to be of physiologic significance in humans. However, tyramine and octopamine may accumulate in patients treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors. (Reproduced, with permission, from Greenspan FS, Gardner DG (editors): Basic and Clinical Endocrinology, 7th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2003.) |
Chemistry
As discussed in Chapter 6, dopa is the amino acid precursor of dopamine and norepinephrine. Its structure is shown in Figure 28-2. Levodopa is the levorotatory stereoisomer of dopa.
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Figure 28-2. Some drugs used in the treatment of parkinsonism. |
Pharmacokinetics
Levodopa is rapidly absorbed from the small intestine, but its absorption depends on the rate of gastric emptying and the pH of the gastric contents. Ingestion of food delays the appearance of levodopa in the plasma. Moreover, certain amino acids from ingested food can compete with the drug for absorption from the gut and for transport from the blood to the brain. Plasma concentrations usually peak between 1 and 2 hours after an oral dose, and the plasma half-life is usually between 1 and 3 hours, although it varies considerably among individuals. About two thirds of the dose appears in the urine as metabolites within 8 hours of an oral dose, the main metabolic products being 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid (homovanillic acid, HVA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). Unfortunately, only about 1-3% of administered levodopa actually enters the brain unaltered; the remainder is metabolized extra-cerebrally, predominantly by decarboxylation to dopamine, which does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier. This means that levodopa must be given in large amounts when it is used alone. However, when it is given in combination with a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor that does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the peripheral metabolism of levodopa is reduced, plasma levels of levodopa are higher, plasma half-life is longer, and more dopa is available for entry into the brain (Figure 28-3). Indeed, concomitant administration of a peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor such as carbidopa may reduce the daily requirements of levodopa by approximately 75%.
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Figure 28-3. Fate of orally administered levodopa and the effect of carbidopa, estimated from animal data. The width of each pathway indicates the absolute amount of the drug at each site, whereas the percentages shown denote the relative proportion of the administered dose. The benefits of coadministration of carbidopa include reduction of the amount of levodopa diverted to peripheral tissues and an increase in the fraction of the dose that reaches the brain. (GI, gastrointestinal.) (Data from Nutt JG, Fellman JH: Pharmacokinetics of levodopa. Clin Neuropharmacol 1984;7:35.) |
Clinical Use
The best results of levodopa treatment are obtained in the first few years of treatment. This is sometimes because the daily dose of levodopa must be reduced over time to avoid side effects at doses that were well tolerated at the outset. Some patients also become less responsive to levodopa, so that previously effective doses eventually fail to produce any therapeutic benefit. Responsiveness to levodopa may ultimately be lost completely, perhaps because of the disappearance of dopaminergic nigrostriatal nerve terminals or some pathologic process directly involving the striatal dopamine receptors. For such reasons, the benefits of levodopa treatment often begin to diminish after about 3 or 4 years of therapy regardless of the initial therapeutic response. Although levodopa therapy does not stop the progression of parkinsonism, its early initiation lowers the mortality rate. However, long-term therapy may lead to a number of problems in management such as the on-off phenomenon discussed below. The most appropriate time to introduce levodopa therapy must therefore be determined individually.
When levodopa is used, it is generally given in combination with carbidopa (Figure 28-2), a peripheral dopa decarboxylase inhibitor, which reduces peripheral conversion to dopamine. Sinemet treatment is started with a small dose, eg, Sinemet-25/100 (carbidopa 25 mg, levodopa 100 mg) three times daily, and gradually increased. It should be taken 30-60 minutes before meals. Most patients ultimately require Sinemet-25/250 (carbidopa 25 mg, levodopa 250 mg) three or four times daily. It is generally preferable to keep treatment with this agent at a low level (eg, Sinemet-25/100 three times daily) and to increase dopaminergic therapy by the addition of a dopamine agonist, if necessary, to reduce the risk of development of response fluctuations. A controlled-release formulation of Sinemet is available and may be helpful in patients with established response fluctuations or as a means of reducing dosing frequency. A commercially available combination (Stalevo) of levodopa, carbidopa, and a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor (entacapone) is discussed in a later section.
Levodopa can ameliorate all of the clinical features of parkinsonism, but it is particularly effective in relieving bradykinesia and any disabilities resulting from it. When it is first introduced, about one third of patients respond very well and one third less well. Most of the remainder either are unable to tolerate the medication or simply do not respond at all.
Adverse Effects
A. GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
When levodopa is given without a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, anorexia and nausea and vomiting occur in about 80% of patients. These adverse effects can be minimized by taking the drug in divided doses, with or immediately after meals, and by increasing the total daily dose very slowly; antacids taken 30-60 minutes before levodopa may also be beneficial. The vomiting has been attributed to stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone located in the brainstem but outside the blood-brain barrier. Fortunately, tolerance to this emetic effect develops in many patients. Antiemetics such as phenothiazines should be avoided because they reduce the antiparkinsonism effects of levodopa and may exacerbate the disease.
When levodopa is given in combination with carbidopa, adverse gastrointestinal effects are much less frequent and troublesome, occurring in less than 20% of cases, so that patients can tolerate proportionately higher doses.
B. CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS
A variety of cardiac arrhythmias have been described in patients receiving levodopa, including tachycardia, ventricular extrasystoles and, rarely, atrial fibrillation. This effect has been attributed to increased catecholamine formation peripherally. The incidence of such arrhythmias is low, even in the presence of established cardiac disease, and may be reduced still further if the levodopa is taken in combination with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor.
Postural hypotension is common, but often asymptomatic, and tends to diminish with continuing treatment. Hypertension may also occur, especially in the presence of nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitors or sympathomimetics or when massive doses of levodopa are being taken.
C. DYSKINESIAS
Dyskinesias occur in up to 80% of patients receiving levodopa therapy for long periods. The form and nature of dopa dyskinesias vary widely among patients but tend to remain constant in character in individual patients. Choreoathetosis of the face and distal extremities is the most common presentation. The development of dyskinesias is dose-related, but there is considerable individual variation in the dose required to produce them.
D. BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS
A wide variety of adverse mental effects have been reported, including depression, anxiety, agitation, insomnia, somnolence, confusion, delusions, hallucinations, nightmares, euphoria, and other changes in mood or personality. Such adverse effects are more common in patients taking levodopa in combination with a decarboxylase inhibitor rather than levodopa alone, presumably because higher levels are reached in the brain. They may be precipitated by intercurrent illness or operation. It may be necessary to reduce or withdraw the medication. Several atypical antipsychotic agents (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone; see Chapter 29) are now available and may be particularly helpful in counteracting the behavioral complications of levodopa.
E. FLUCTUATIONS IN RESPONSE
Certain fluctuations in clinical response to levodopa occur with increasing frequency as treatment continues. In some patients, these fluctuations relate to the timing of levodopa intake, and they are then referred to as wearing-off reactions or end-of-dose akinesia. In other instances, fluctuations in clinical state are unrelated to the timing of doses (on-off phenomenon). In the on-off phenomenon, off-periods of marked akinesia alternate over the course of a few hours with on-periods of improved mobility but often marked dyskinesia. The phenomenon is most likely to occur in patients who responded well to treatment initially. The exact mechanism is unknown. For patients with severe off-periods who are unresponsive to other measures, subcutaneously injected apomorphine may provide temporary benefit.
F. MISCELLANEOUS ADVERSE EFFECTS
Mydriasis may occur and may precipitate an attack of acute glaucoma in some patients. Other reported but rare adverse effects include various blood dyscrasias; a positive Coombs test with evidence of hemolysis; hot flushes; aggravation or precipitation of gout; abnormalities of smell or taste; brownish discoloration of saliva, urine, or vaginal secretions; priapism; and mild¾usually transient¾elevations of blood urea nitrogen and of serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin.
Drug Holidays
A drug holiday (discontinuance of the drug for 3-21 days) may temporarily improve responsiveness to levodopa and alleviate some of its adverse effects but is usually of little help in the management of the on-off phenomenon. Furthermore, a drug holiday carries the risks of aspiration pneumonia, venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and depression resulting from the immobility accompanying severe parkinsonism. For these reasons and because of the temporary nature of any benefit, drug holidays are no longer recommended.
Drug Interactions
Pharmacologic doses of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) enhance the extracerebral metabolism of levodopa and may therefore prevent its therapeutic effect unless a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor is also taken. Levodopa should not be given to patients taking monoamine oxidase A inhibitors or within 2 weeks of their discontinuance, because such a combination can lead to hypertensive crises.
Contraindications
Levodopa should not be given to psychotic patients because it may exacerbate the mental disturbance. It is also contraindicated in patients with angle-closure glaucoma, but those with chronic open-angle glaucoma may be given levodopa if intraocular pressure is well controlled and can be monitored. It is best given combined with carbidopa to patients with cardiac disease; even so, the risk of cardiac dysrhythmia is slight. Patients with active peptic ulcer must also be managed carefully, since gastrointestinal bleeding has occasionally occurred with levodopa. Because levodopa is a precursor of skin melanin and conceivably may activate malignant melanoma, its use should be avoided in patients with a history of melanoma or with suspicious undiagnosed skin lesions.
DOPAMINE RECEPTOR AGONISTS
Introduction
Drugs acting directly on dopamine receptors may have a beneficial effect in addition to that of levodopa. Unlike levodopa, they do not require enzymatic conversion to an active metabolite, have no potentially toxic metabolites, and do not compete with other substances for active transport into the blood and across the blood-brain barrier. Moreover, drugs selectively affecting certain (but not all) dopamine receptors may have more limited adverse effects than levodopa. A number of dopamine agonists have antiparkinsonism activity. The older dopamine agonists (bromocriptine and pergolide) are ergot (ergoline) derivatives (see Chapter 16), and their side effects are of more concern than those of the newer agents (pramipexole and ropinirole). There is no evidence that one agonist is superior to another; individual patients, however, may respond to one but not another of these agents. Apomorphine is a potent dopamine agonist but is discussed separately in a later section in this chapter because it is used primarily as a rescue drug for patients with disabling response fluctuations to levodopa.
Dopamine agonists have an important role as first-line therapy for Parkinson's disease, and their use is associated with a lower incidence of the response fluctuations and dyskinesias that occur with long-term levodopa therapy. In consequence, dopaminergic therapy may best be initiated with a dopamine agonist. Alternatively, a low dose of carbidopa plus levodopa (eg, Sinemet-25/100 three times daily) is introduced and a dopamine agonist is then added. In either case, the dose of the dopamine agonist is built up gradually depending on response and tolerance. Dopamine agonists may also be given to patients with parkinsonism who are taking levodopa and who have end-of-dose akinesia or on-off phenomenon or are becoming resistant to treatment with levodopa. In such circumstances, it is generally necessary to lower the dose of levodopa to prevent intolerable adverse effects. The response to a dopamine agonist is generally disappointing in patients who have never responded to levodopa.
Bromocriptine
Bromocriptine is a D2 agonist; its structure is shown in Table 16-4. This drug has been widely used to treat Parkinson's disease and has also been used to treat certain endocrinologic disorders, especially hyperprolactinemia (see Chapter 37), but in lower doses than for parkinsonism. Bromocriptine is absorbed to a variable extent from the gastrointestinal tract; peak plasma levels are reached within 1-2 hours after an oral dose. It is excreted in the bile and feces. The usual daily dose of bromocriptine in the treatment of parkinsonism is between 7.5 and 30 mg, depending on response and tolerance. To minimize adverse effects, the dose is built up slowly over 2 or 3 months from a starting level of 1.25 mg twice daily after meals; the daily dose is then increased by 2.5 mg every 2 weeks depending on the response or the development of adverse reactions.
Pergolide
Pergolide, another ergot derivative, directly stimulates both D1 and D2 receptors. It too has been widely used for parkinsonism, and comparative studies suggest that it is more effective than bromocriptine in relieving the symptoms and signs of the disease, increasing "on-time" among response fluctuators, and permitting the levodopa dose to be reduced. Because the use of pergolide has recently been associated with clinical or subclinical valvular heart disease in about one third of patients, one of the newer non-ergot agents is preferred when a dopamine agonist is required.
Pramipexole
Pramipexole, which is not an ergot derivative, has preferential affinity for the D3 family of receptors. It is effective when used as monotherapy for mild parkinsonism. It is also helpful in patients with advanced disease, permitting the dose of levodopa to be reduced and smoothing out response fluctuations. It may ameliorate affective symptoms. A possible neuroprotective effect has been suggested by its ability to scavenge hydrogen peroxide and enhance neurotrophic activity in mesencephalic dopaminergic cell cultures.
Pramipexole is rapidly absorbed after oral administration, reaching peak plasma concentrations in approximately 2 hours, and is excreted largely unchanged in the urine. It is started at a dosage of 0.125 mg three times daily, doubled after 1 week, and again after another week. Further increments in the daily dose are by 0.75 mg at weekly intervals, depending on response and tolerance. Most patients require between 0.5 and 1.5 mg three times daily. Renal insufficiency may necessitate dosage adjustment.
Ropinirole
Another nonergoline derivative, ropinirole is a relatively pure D2 receptor agonist that is effective as monotherapy in patients with mild disease and as a means of smoothing the response to levodopa in patients with more advanced disease and response fluctuations. It is introduced at 0.25 mg three times daily, and the total daily dose is then increased by 0.75 mg at weekly intervals until the fourth week and by 1.5 mg thereafter. In most instances, a dose of between 2 and 8 mg three times daily is necessary. Ropinirole is metabolized by CYP1A2; other drugs metabolized by this isoform may significantly reduce its clearance.
Adverse Effects of Dopamine Agonists
A. GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
Anorexia and nausea and vomiting may occur when a dopamine agonist is introduced and can be minimized by taking the medication with meals. Constipation, dyspepsia, and symptoms of reflux esophagitis may also occur. Bleeding from peptic ulceration has been reported.
B. CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS
Postural hypotension may occur, particularly at the initiation of therapy. Painless digital vasospasm is a dose-related complication of long-term treatment with the ergot derivatives (bromocriptine or pergolide). When cardiac arrhythmias occur, they are an indication for discontinuing treatment. Peripheral edema is sometimes problematic. Cardiac valvulopathy may occur with pergolide.
C. DYSKINESIAS
Abnormal movements similar to those introduced by levodopa may occur and are reversed by reducing the total dose of dopaminergic drugs being taken.
D. MENTAL DISTURBANCES
Confusion, hallucinations, delusions, and other psychiatric reactions are other complications of dopaminergic treatment and are more common and severe with dopamine receptor agonists than with levodopa. They clear on withdrawal of the offending medication.
E. MISCELLANEOUS
Headache, nasal congestion, increased arousal, pulmonary infiltrates, pleural and retroperitoneal fibrosis, and erythromelalgia are other reported side effects of the ergot-derived dopamine agonists. Erythromelalgia consists of red, tender, painful, swollen feet and, occasionally, hands, at times associated with arthralgia; symptoms and signs clear within a few days of withdrawal of the causal drug. In rare instances, an uncontrollable tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate times has occurred, particularly in patients receiving pramipexole or ropinirole, requiring the discontinuation of medication.
Contraindications
Dopamine agonists are contraindicated in patients with a history of psychotic illness or recent myocardial infarction, or with active peptic ulceration. The ergot-derived agonists are best avoided in patients with peripheral vascular disease.
MONOAMINE OXIDASE INHIBITORS
Two types of monoamine oxidase have been distinguished in the nervous system. Monoamine oxidase A metabolizes norepinephrine and serotonin; monoamine oxidase B metabolizes dopamine. Selegiline (deprenyl) (Figure 28-2), a selective irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase B at normal doses (at higher doses it inhibits MAO-A as well), retards the breakdown of dopamine; in consequence, it enhances and prolongs the antiparkinsonism effect of levodopa (thereby allowing the dose of levodopa to be reduced) and may reduce mild on-off or wearing-off phenomena. It is therefore used as adjunctive therapy for patients with a declining or fluctuating response to levodopa. The standard dose of selegiline is 5 mg with breakfast and 5 mg with lunch. Selegiline may cause insomnia when taken later during the day. It should not be taken by patients receiving meperidine, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin reuptake inhibitors because of the risk of acute toxic interactions of the serotonin syndrome type (see Chapter 16). The adverse effects of levodopa may be increased by selegiline.
Selegiline has only a minor therapeutic effect on parkinsonism when given alone, but studies in animals suggest that it may reduce disease progression. Such an effect of antioxidative therapy on disease progression may be expected if Parkinson's disease is associated with the oxidative generation of free radicals. However, any neuroprotective effect of selegiline may relate to its metabolite, desmethylselegiline, and involve antiapoptotic mechanisms. Studies to test the effect of selegiline on the progression of parkinsonism in humans have yielded ambiguous results. The findings in a large multicenter study have been taken to suggest a beneficial effect in slowing disease progression but may simply have reflected a symptomatic response.
Rasagiline, another monoamine oxidase B inhibitor, is more potent than selegiline in preventing MPTP-induced parkinsonism and is being used as a neuroprotective agent and for early symptomatic treatment. The standard dose is 0.5 mg/d.
The combined administration of levodopa and an inhibitor of both forms of monoamine oxidase must be avoided, because it may lead to hypertensive crises, probably because of the peripheral accumulation of norepinephrine.
CATECHOL-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE INHIBITORS
Inhibition of dopa decarboxylase is associated with compensatory activation of other pathways of levodopa metabolism, especially catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and this increases plasma levels of 3-O-methyldopa (3OMD). Elevated levels of 3OMD have been associated with a poor therapeutic response to levodopa, perhaps in part because 3OMD competes with levodopa for an active carrier mechanism that governs its transport across the intestinal mucosa and the blood-brain barrier. Selective COMT inhibitors such as tolcapone and entacapone also prolong the action of levodopa by diminishing its peripheral metabolism. Levodopa clearance is decreased, and relative bioavailability of levodopa is thus increased. Neither the time to reach peak concentration nor the maximal concentration of levodopa is increased. These agents may be helpful in patients receiving levodopa who have developed response fluctuations¾leading to a smoother response, more prolonged "on-time," and the option of reducing total daily levodopa dose. Tolcapone and entacapone are both widely available, but entacapone is generally preferred because it has not been associated with hepatotoxicity.
The pharmacologic effects of tolcapone and entacapone are similar, and both are rapidly absorbed, bound to plasma proteins, and metabolized prior to excretion. However, tolcapone has both central and peripheral effects, whereas the effect of entacapone is peripheral. The half-life of both drugs is approximately 2 hours, but tolcapone is slightly more potent and has a longer duration of action. Tolcapone is taken in a standard dosage of 100 mg three times daily; some patients require a daily dose of twice that amount. By contrast, entacapone (200 mg) needs to be taken with each dose of levodopa, up to five times daily.
Adverse effects of the COMT inhibitors relate in part to increased levodopa exposure and include dyskinesias, nausea, and confusion. It is often necessary to lower the daily dose of levodopa by about 30% in the first 48 hours to avoid or reverse such complications. Other side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, orthostatic hypotension, sleep disturbances, and an orange discoloration of the urine. Tolcapone may cause an increase in liver enzyme levels and has been rarely associated with death from acute hepatic failure; accordingly, its use in the USA requires signed patient consent (as provided in the product labeling) plus monitoring of liver function tests every 2 weeks during the first year and less frequently thereafter. No such toxicity has been reported with entacapone.
A commercial preparation named Stalevo consists of a combination of levodopa with both carbidopa and entacapone. Use of this preparation simplifies the drug regimen and requires the consumption of a lesser number of tablets than otherwise; Stalevo is priced at or below the price of its individual components.
APOMORPHINE
Subcutaneous injection of apomorphine hydrochloride (Apokyn), a potent dopamine agonist, is effective for the temporary relief of off-periods of akinesia in patients on dopaminergic therapy. It is rapidly taken up in the blood and then the brain, leading to clinical benefit that begins within about 10 minutes of injection and persists for up to 2 hours. The optimal dose is identified by administering increasing test doses until adequate benefit is achieved or a maximum of 10 mg is reached. Most patients require a dose of 3-6 mg, and this should be given no more than about three times daily.
Nausea is often troublesome, especially at the initiation of apomorphine treatment; accordingly, pretreatment with the antiemetic trimethobenzamide (300 mg three times daily) for 3 days is recommended before apomorphine is introduced and is then continued for at least 1 month, if not indefinitely. Other adverse effects include dyskinesias, drowsiness, sweating, hypotension, and bruising at the injection site.
AMANTADINE
Introduction
Amantadine, an antiviral agent, was by chance found to have antiparkinsonism properties. Its mode of action in parkinsonism is unclear, but it may potentiate dopaminergic function by influencing the synthesis, release, or reuptake of dopamine. Release of catecholamines from peripheral stores has been documented.
Pharmacokinetics
Peak plasma concentrations of amantadine are reached 1-4 hours after an oral dose. The plasma half-life is between 2 and 4 hours, most of the drug being excreted unchanged in the urine.
Clinical Use
Amantadine is less potent than levodopa, and its benefits may be short-lived, often disappearing after only a few weeks of treatment. Nevertheless, during that time it may favorably influence the bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor of parkinsonism. The standard dosage is 100 mg orally twice or three times daily. Amantadine may also help in reducing iatrogenic dyskinesias in patients with advanced disease.
Adverse Effects
Amantadine has a number of undesirable central nervous system effects, all of which can be reversed by stopping the drug. These include restlessness, depression, irritability, insomnia, agitation, excitement, hallucinations, and confusion. Overdosage may produce an acute toxic psychosis. With doses several times higher than recommended, convulsions have occurred.
Livedo reticularis sometimes occurs in patients taking amantadine and usually clears within a month after the drug is withdrawn. Other dermatologic reactions have also been described. Peripheral edema, another well-recognized complication, is not accompanied by signs of cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease and responds to diuretics. Other adverse reactions include headache, heart failure, postural hypotension, urinary retention, and gastrointestinal disturbances (eg, anorexia, nausea, constipation, and dry mouth).
Amantadine should be used with caution in patients with a history of seizures or heart failure.
ACETYLCHOLINE-BLOCKING DRUGS
Introduction
A number of centrally acting antimuscarinic preparations are available that differ in their potency and in their efficacy in different patients. Some of these drugs were discussed in Chapter 8. These agents may improve the tremor and rigidity of parkinsonism but have little effect on bradykinesia. Some of the more commonly used drugs are listed in Table 28-1.
Clinical Use
Treatment is started with a low dose of one of the drugs in this category, the level of medication gradually being increased until benefit occurs or adverse effects limit further increments. If patients do not respond to one drug, a trial with another member of the drug class is warranted and may be successful.
Adverse Effects
Antimuscarinic drugs have a number of undesirable central nervous system and peripheral effects (see Chapter 8). Dyskinesias occur in rare cases. Acute suppurative parotitis sometimes occurs as a complication of dryness of the mouth.
If medication is to be withdrawn, this should be accomplished gradually rather than abruptly to prevent acute exacerbation of parkinsonism. For contraindications to their use, see Chapter 8.
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
In patients with advanced disease that is poorly responsive to pharmacotherapy, worthwhile benefit may follow thalamotomy (for conspicuous tremor) or posteroventral pallidotomy. Ablative surgical procedures, however, are being replaced by functional, reversible lesions induced by high-frequency deep-brain stimulation, which has a lower morbidity.
Thalamic stimulation by an implanted electrode and stimulator is very effective for the relief of tremor, and stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus or globus pallidus internus has yielded good results for management of the clinical fluctuation occurring in advanced parkinsonism. The anatomic substrate for such therapy is indicated in Figure 28-4. Such procedures are contraindicated in patients with secondary or atypical parkinsonism.
Transplantation of dopaminergic tissue (fetal substantia nigra tissue) has been reported to confer benefit in some parkinsonism patients, but the results are conflicting. In one controlled trial, symptomatic benefit occurred in younger (less than 60 years old) but not older patients. In another trial, benefits were inconsequential. Furthermore, uncontrollable dyskinesias occurred in some patients in both studies. This was attributed to a relative excess of dopamine from continued fiber outgrowth from the transplant. Further basic studies are required before other trials of cellular therapies are undertaken, and such approaches therefore remain investigational.
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Figure 28-4. Functional circuitry between the cortex, basal ganglia, and thalamus. The involved neurotransmitters are indicated. In Parkinson's disease, there is degeneration of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra, leading to overactivity in the indirect pathway (color) and increased glutamatergic activity by the subthalamic nucleus. |
NEUROPROTECTIVE THERAPY
A number of different compounds are under investigation as potential neuroprotective agents that may slow disease progression. These compounds include antioxidants, antiapoptotic agents, glutamate antagonists, intraparenchymally administered glial-derived neurotrophic factor, coenzyme Q10, creatine, and anti-inflammatory drugs. The role of these agents remains to be established, however, and their use for therapeutic purposes is not indicated at this time.
GENERAL COMMENTS ON DRUG MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH PARKINSONISM
Parkinson's disease generally follows a progressive course. Moreover, the benefits of levodopa therapy often diminish with time, and serious adverse effects may complicate long-term levodopa treatment. Nevertheless, dopaminergic therapy at a relatively early stage may be most effective in alleviating symptoms of parkinsonism and may also favorably affect the mortality rate due to the disease. Symptomatic treatment of mild parkinsonism is probably best avoided until there is some degree of disability or until symptoms begin to have a significant impact on the patient's lifestyle. When treatment becomes necessary, a trial of amantadine or an antimuscarinic drug (or both) may be worthwhile. With disease progression, dopaminergic therapy becomes necessary. This can conveniently be initiated with a dopamine agonist, either alone or in combination with low-dose Sinemet therapy. Physical therapy is helpful in improving mobility. In patients with severe parkinsonism and long-term complications of levodopa therapy such as the on-off phenomenon, a trial of treatment with a COMT inhibitor may be worthwhile. Regulation of dietary protein intake may also improve response fluctuations. Deep-brain stimulation may be helpful in patients who fail to respond adequately to these measures. Treating patients who are young or have mild parkinsonism with selegiline or rasagiline may delay disease progression and merits consideration.
DRUG-INDUCED PARKINSONISM
Reserpine and the related drug tetrabenazine deplete biogenic monoamines from their storage sites, whereas haloperidol and the phenothiazines block dopamine receptors. These drugs may therefore produce a parkinsonian syndrome, usually within 3 months after introduction. This is related to high dosage and clears over a few weeks or months after withdrawal. If treatment is necessary, antimuscarinic agents are preferred. Levodopa is of no help if neuroleptic drugs are continued and may in fact aggravate the mental disorder for which antipsychotic drugs were prescribed originally.
In 1983, a drug-induced form of parkinsonism was discovered in individuals who attempted to synthesize and use a narcotic drug related to meperidine but actually synthesized and self-administered MPTP, as discussed in the Box: MPTP & Parkinsonism.
MPTP & PARKINSONISM
Reports in the early 1980s of a rapidly progressive form of parkinsonism in young persons opened a new area of research in the etiology and treatment of parkinsonism. The initial report described apparently healthy young people who attempted to support their opioid habit with a meperidine analog synthesized by an amateur chemist. They unwittingly self-administered 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) and subsequently developed a very severe form of parkinsonism.
MPTP is a protoxin that is converted by monoamine oxidase B to N-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+). MPP+ is selectively taken up by cells in the substantia nigra through an active mechanism normally responsible for dopamine reuptake. MPP+ inhibits mitochondrial complex I, thereby inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation. The interaction of MPP+ with complex I probably leads to cell death and thus to striatal dopamine depletion and parkinsonism.
Recognition of the effects of MPTP suggested that spontaneously occurring Parkinson's disease may result from exposure to an environmental toxin that is similarly selective in its target. However, no such toxin has yet been identified. It also suggested a successful means of producing an experimental model of Parkinson's disease in animals, especially nonhuman primates. This model is assisting in the development of new antiparkinsonism drugs. Pretreatment of exposed animals with a monoamine oxidase B inhibitor such as selegiline prevents the conversion of MPTP to MPP+ and thus protects against the occurrence of parkinsonism. This observation has provided one reason to believe that selegiline or rasagiline may retard the progression of Parkinson's disease in humans.
OTHER MOVEMENT DISORDERS
Tremor
Tremor consists of rhythmic oscillatory movements. Physiologic postural tremor, which is a normal phenomenon, is enhanced in amplitude by anxiety, fatigue, thyrotoxicosis, and intravenous epinephrine or isoproterenol. Propranolol reduces its amplitude and, if administered intra-arterially, prevents the response to isoproterenol in the perfused limb, presumably through some peripheral action. Certain drugs¾especially the bronchodilators, valproate, tricyclic antidepressants, and lithium¾may produce a dose-dependent exaggeration of the normal physiologic tremor that is reversed by discontinuing the drug. Although the tremor produced by sympathomimetics such as terbutaline (a bronchodilator) is blocked by propranolol, which antagonizes both b1 and b2 receptors, it is not blocked by metoprolol, a b1-selective antagonist; this suggests that such tremor is mediated mainly by the b2receptors.
Essential tremor is a postural tremor, sometimes familial, which is clinically similar to physiologic tremor. Dysfunction of b1 receptors has been implicated in some instances, since the tremor may respond dramatically to standard doses of metoprolol as well as to propranolol. The most useful approach is with propranolol, but whether the response depends on a central or peripheral action is unclear. The pharmacokinetics, pharmacologic effects, and adverse reactions of propranolol are discussed in Chapter 10. Daily doses of propranolol on the order of 120 mg (range, 60-240 mg) are usually required, and reported adverse effects have been few. Propranolol should be used with caution in patients with heart failure, heart block, asthma, and hypoglycemia. Patients can be instructed to take their own pulse and call the physician if significant bradycardia develops. Metoprolol is sometimes useful in treating tremor when patients have concomitant pulmonary disease that contraindicates use of propranolol. Primidone (an antiepileptic drug; see Chapter 24), in gradually increasing doses up to 250 mg three times daily, is also effective in providing symptomatic control in some cases. Patients with tremor are very sensitive to primidone and often cannot tolerate the doses used to treat seizures; they should be started on 50 mg once daily and the daily dose increased by 50 mg every 2 weeks depending on response. Topiramate, another antiepileptic drug, may also be helpful in a dose of 400 mg daily, built up gradually. Small quantities of alcohol may suppress essential tremor but only for a short time and by an unknown mechanism. Alprazolam (in doses up to 3 mg daily) is helpful in some patients. Others are helped by intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin. Thalamic stimulation (discussed earlier) is often worthwhile in advanced cases refractory to pharmacotherapy. Diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, mephenesin, and antiparkinsonism agents have been advocated in the past but are generally worthless. Anecdotal reports of benefit from mirtazapine were not confirmed in a double-blind study, which found no effect on the tremor in most patients.
Intention tremor is present during movement but not at rest; sometimes it occurs as a toxic manifestation of alcohol or drugs such as phenytoin. Withdrawal or reduction in dosage provides dramatic relief. There is no satisfactory pharmacologic treatment for intention tremor due to other neurologic disorders.
Rest tremor is usually due to parkinsonism.
Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant inherited disorder caused by an abnormality in chromosome 4. It is characterized by progressive chorea and dementia that usually begin in adulthood. The development of chorea seems to be related to an imbalance of dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA, and perhaps other neurotransmitters in the basal ganglia (Figure 28-1). Pharmacologic studies indicate that chorea results from functional overactivity in dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathways, perhaps because of increased responsiveness of postsynaptic dopamine receptors or deficiency of a neurotransmitter that normally antagonizes dopamine. Drugs that impair dopaminergic neurotransmission, either by depleting central monoamines (eg, reserpine, tetrabenazine) or by blocking dopamine receptors (eg, phenothiazines, butyrophenones), often alleviate chorea, whereas dopamine-like drugs such as levodopa tend to exacerbate it.
Both GABA and the enzyme (glutamic acid decarboxylase) concerned with its synthesis are markedly reduced in the basal ganglia of patients with Huntington's disease, and GABA receptors are usually implicated in inhibitory pathways. There is also a significant decline in concentration of choline acetyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for synthesizing acetylcholine, in the basal ganglia of these patients. These findings may be of pathophysiologic significance and have led to attempts to alleviate chorea by enhancing central GABA or acetylcholine activity. Unfortunately, such pharmacologic manipulations have been disappointing, yielding no consistently beneficial response. As a consequence, the most commonly used drugs for controlling dyskinesia in patients with Huntington's disease are still those that interfere with dopamine activity. With all the latter drugs, however, reduction of abnormal movements may be associated with iatrogenic parkinsonism.
Reserpine depletes cerebral dopamine by preventing intraneuronal storage (see Chapter 6); it is introduced in low doses (eg, 0.25 mg daily), and the daily dose is then built up gradually (eg, by 0.25 mg every week) until benefit occurs or adverse effects become troublesome. A daily dose of 2-5 mg is often effective in suppressing abnormal movements, but adverse effects may include hypotension, depression, sedation, diarrhea, and nasal congestion. Tetrabenazine resembles reserpine in depleting cerebral dopamine and has less troublesome adverse effects, but it is not available in the USA. Treatment with postsynaptic dopamine receptor blockers such as phenothiazines and butyrophenones may also be helpful. Haloperidol is started in a small dose, eg, 1 mg twice daily, and increased every 4 days depending on the response. If haloperidol is not helpful, treatment with increasing doses of perphenazine up to a total of about 20 mg daily sometimes helps. Several recent reports suggest that olanzapine may also be useful; the dose varies with the patient, but 10 mg daily is often sufficient although doses as high as 30 mg daily are sometimes required. The pharmacokinetics and clinical properties of these drugs are considered in greater detail elsewhere in this book.
Other Forms of Chorea
Treatment is directed at the underlying cause when chorea occurs as a complication of general medical disorders such as thyrotoxicosis, polycythemia vera rubra, systemic lupus erythematosus, hypocalcemia, and hepatic cirrhosis. Drug-induced chorea is managed by withdrawal of the offending substance, which may be levodopa, an antimuscarinic drug, amphetamine, lithium, phenytoin, or an oral contraceptive. Neuroleptic drugs may also produce an acute or tardive dyskinesia (discussed below). Sydenham's chorea is temporary and usually so mild that pharmacologic management of the dyskinesia is unnecessary, but dopamine-blocking drugs are effective in suppressing it.
Ballismus
The biochemical basis of ballismus is unknown, but the pharmacologic approach to management is the same as for chorea. Treatment with haloperidol, perphenazine, or other dopamine-blocking drugs may be helpful.
Athetosis & Dystonia
The pharmacologic basis of these disorders is unknown, and there is no satisfactory medical treatment for them. Occasional patients with dystonia may respond to diazepam, amantadine, antimuscarinic drugs (in high dosage), levodopa, carbamazepine, baclofen, haloperidol, or phenothiazines. A trial of these pharmacologic approaches is worthwhile even though often not successful. Patients with focal dystonias such as blepharospasm or torticollis may benefit from injection of botulinum toxin into the overactive muscles.
Tics
The pathophysiologic basis of tics is unknown. Chronic multiple tics (Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome) may require symptomatic treatment if the disorder is severe or is having a significant impact on the patient's life. The most effective pharmacologic approach is with haloperidol, and patients are better able to tolerate this drug if treatment is started with a small dosage (eg, 0.25 or 0.5 mg daily) and then increased very gradually over the following weeks. Most patients ultimately require a total daily dose of 3-8 mg. Adverse effects include extrapyramidal movement disorders, sedation, dryness of the mouth, blurred vision, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Pimozide, another dopamine-receptor antagonist, may be helpful in patients who are either unresponsive to or intolerant of haloperidol. Treatment is started at 1 mg/d, and the dosage is increased by 1 mg every 5 days; most patients require 7-16 mg/d.
If these measures fail, fluphenazine, clonazepam, clonidine, or carbamazepine should be tried. The pharmacologic properties of these drugs are discussed elsewhere in this book. Clonidine reduces motor or vocal tics in about 50% of children so treated. It may act by reducing activity in noradrenergic neurons in the locus caeruleus. It is introduced in a dose of 2-3 mcg/kg/d, increasing after 2 weeks to 4 mcg/kg/d and then, if required, to 5 mcg/kg/d. It may cause an initial transient fall in blood pressure. The most common side effect is sedation; other side effects include reduced or excessive salivation and diarrhea. Phenothiazines such as fluphenazine sometimes help the tics, as do dopamine agonists. The role of the newer atypical antipsychotic agents, such as risperidone, is unclear.
Injection of botulinum toxin A at the site of problematic tics is sometimes helpful. Treatment of any associated attention deficit disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder may be required. Bilateral thalamic stimulation is sometimes worthwhile in otherwise intractable cases.
Drug-Induced Dyskinesias
The pharmacologic basis of the acute dyskinesia or dystonia sometimes precipitated by the first few doses of a phenothiazine is not clear. In most instances, parenteral administration of an antimuscarinic drug such as benztropine (2 mg intravenously), diphenhydramine (50 mg intravenously), or biperiden (2-5 mg intravenously or intramuscularly) is helpful, whereas in other instances diazepam (10 mg intravenously) alleviates the abnormal movements.
Tardive dyskinesia, a disorder characterized by a variety of abnormal movements, is a common complication of long-term neuroleptic drug treatment (see Chapter 29). Unfortunately, its precise pharmacologic basis is unclear. A reduction in dose of the offending medication, a dopamine receptor blocker, commonly worsens the dyskinesia, whereas an increase in dose may suppress it. The drugs most likely to provide immediate symptomatic benefit are those interfering with dopaminergic function, either by depletion (eg, reserpine, tetrabenazine) or receptor blockade (eg, phenothiazines, butyrophenones). Paradoxically, the receptor-blocking drugs are the very ones that also cause the dyskinesia.
Because tardive dyskinesia that develops in adults is often irreversible and has no satisfactory treatment, care must be taken to reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. Antipsychotic medication should be prescribed only when necessary and should be withheld periodically to assess the need for continued treatment and to unmask incipient dyskinesia. Thioridazine, a phenothiazine with a piperidine side chain, is an effective antipsychotic that seems less likely than most to cause extrapyramidal reactions, perhaps because it has little effect on dopamine receptors in the striatal system. Finally, antimuscarinic drugs should not be prescribed routinely in patients receiving neuroleptics, because the combination may increase the likelihood of dyskinesia.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome is characterized by an unpleasant creeping discomfort that seems to arise deep within the legs and occasionally the arms. Symptoms occur particularly when patients are relaxed, especially when they are lying down or sitting, and they lead to an urge to move about. Such symptoms may delay the onset of sleep. A sleep disorder associated with periodic movements during sleep may also occur. The cause is unknown, but the disorder is especially common among pregnant women and also among uremic or diabetic patients with neuropathy. In most patients, no obvious predisposing cause is found.
Symptoms may resolve with correction of coexisting iron-deficiency anemia and often respond to dopamine agonists, levodopa, diazepam, clonazepam, or opiates. Dopaminergic therapy is the preferred treatment for restless legs syndrome and should be initiated with long-acting dopamine agonists to avoid the complications associated with levodopa. Ropinirole has recently been approved for this condition. When opiates are required, those with long half-lives or low addictive potential should be used.
Wilson's Disease
A recessively inherited disorder of copper metabolism, Wilson's disease is characterized biochemically by reduced serum copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations, pathologically by markedly increased concentration of copper in the brain and viscera, and clinically by signs of hepatic and neurologic dysfunction. Neurologic signs include tremor, choreiform movements, rigidity, hypokinesia, and dysarthria and dysphagia. Treatment involves the removal of excess copper, followed by maintenance of copper balance. A commonly used agent for this purpose is penicillamine (dimethylcysteine), a chelating agent that forms a ring complex with copper. It is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and rapidly excreted in the urine. A common starting dose in adults is 500 mg three or four times daily. After remission occurs, it may be possible to lower the maintenance dose, generally to not less than 1 g daily, which must thereafter be continued indefinitely. Adverse effects include nausea and vomiting, nephrotic syndrome, a lupus-like syndrome, pemphigus, myasthenia, arthropathy, optic neuropathy, and various blood dyscrasias. Treatment should be monitored by frequent urinalysis and complete blood counts. Dietary copper should also be kept below 2 mg daily. Potassium disulfide, 20 mg three times daily with meals, reduces the intestinal absorption of copper and should also be prescribed.
For those patients who are unable to tolerate penicillamine, trientine, another chelating agent, may be used in a daily dose of 1-1.5 g. Trientine appears to have few adverse effects other than mild anemia due to iron deficiency in a few patients. Zinc acetate administered orally increases the fecal excretion of copper and is sometimes used for maintenance therapy. The dose is 50 mg three times a day. Zinc sulfate (200 mg/d orally) has also been used to decrease copper absorption. Zinc blocks copper absorption from the gastrointestinal tract by induction of intestinal cell metallothionein. Its main advantage is its low toxicity compared with that of other anticopper agents, although it may cause gastric irritation when introduced.
PREPARATIONS AVAILABLE
Amantadine (Symmetrel, others)
Oral: 100 mg capsules; 10 mg/mL syrup
Apomorphine (Apokyn)
Subcutaneous injection titration kit, 10 mg/mL
Benztropine (Cogentin, others)
Oral: 0.5, 1, 2 mg tablets
Parenteral: 1 mg/mL for injection
Biperiden (Akineton)
Oral: 2 mg tablets
Parenteral: 5 mg/mL for injection
Bromocriptine (Parlodel)
Oral: 2.5 mg tablets; 5 mg capsules
Carbidopa (Lodosyn)
Oral: 25 mg tablets
Carbidopa/levodopa (Sinemet, others)
Oral: 10 mg carbidopa and 100 mg levodopa, 25 mg carbidopa and 100 mg levodopa, 25 mg carbidopa and 250 mg levodopa tablets
Oral sustained-release (Sinemet CR): 25 mg carbidopa and 100 mg levodopa; 50 mg carbidopa and 200 mg levodopa
Carbidopa/levodopa/entacapone (Stalevo)
Oral: 12.5 mg carbidopa, 200 mg entacapone and 50 mg levodopa; 25 mg carbidopa, 200 mg entacapone, and 100 mg levodopa; 37.5 mg carbidopa, 200 mg entacapone, and 150 mg levodopa
Entacapone (Comtan)
Oral: 200 mg tablets
Levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa)
Oral: 100, 250, 500 mg tablets, capsules
Orphenadrine (various)
Oral: 100 mg tablets
Oral sustained-release: 100 mg tablets
Parenteral: 30 mg/mL for injection
Penicillamine (Cuprimine, Depen)
Oral: 125, 250 mg capsules; 250 mg tablets
Pergolide (Permax, other)
Oral: 0.05, 0.25, 1 mg tablets
Pramipexole (Mirapex)
Oral: 0.125, 0.25, 1, 1.5 mg tablets
Procyclidine (Kemadrin)
Oral: 5 mg tablets
Rasagiline (Azilect)
Oral: 0.5, 1 mg tablets
Ropinirole (Requip)
Oral: 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 mg tablets
Selegiline (deprenyl) (generic, Eldepryl)
Oral: 5 mg tablets, capsules
Tolcapone (Tasmar)
Oral: 100, 200 mg tablets
Trientine (Syprine)
Oral: 250 mg capsules
Trihexyphenidyl (Artane, others)
Oral: 2, 5 mg tablets; 2 mg/5 mL elixir
Oral sustained-release (Artane Sequels): 5 mg capsules
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