October 2006
Nyholm D
Pharmacotherapy designed to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson’s
disease is focused on the stimulation of striatal dopamine receptors.
The ideal pharmacological treatment would involve continuous
dopaminergic stimulation. Currently, the most effective pharmacotherapy
available is levodopa delivered orally; however, its short plasma
half-life in combination with erratic gastric emptying and intestinal
absorption makes dopaminergic stimulation pulsatile. Motor fluctuations
and dyskinesias develop with time as a consequence and can become
disabling.
A gel formulation of levodopa/carbidopa has been developed
for enteral (duodenal or jejunal) infusion via a portable pump. The
infusion provides smooth plasma levodopa levels, more continuous
dopaminergic stimulation and effective treatment of motor complications.
