Neurology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Correspondence:
Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when Correspondence are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ward, C. D.
Right arrow Articles by Kopin, I. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ward, C. D.
Right arrow Articles by Kopin, I. J.
NEUROLOGY 1984;34:198
© 1984 American Academy of Neurology

L-dopa decarboxylation in chronically treated patients

Christopher D. Ward, MD, Irene K. Trombley, MD, Donald B. Calne, MD and Irwin J. Kopin, MD

From the Laboratory of Clinical Science (Drs. Ward and Kopin), National Institute of Mental Health, and the Experimental Therapeutics Branch (Drs. Trombley and Calne), National Institute of Neurologic and Communicative Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

We measured decarboxylation of oral L-dopa in patients chronically treated with L-dopa, and in untreated controls. Chronic L-dopa and carbidopa administration did not affect the extent of whole-body decarboxylation, and it is therefore unlikely that on-off fluctuations are related to chronic changes in the activity of L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. The observed duration of action and dose-response properties of carbidopa suggested that current empirically based dose schedules are optimal and supported the concept that decarboxylase inhibitors enhance the clinical effect of L-dopa largely by reducing the extent of first-pass metabolism rather than through an action on the decarboxylase enzyme in cerebral capillaries.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Ward, University Department of Clinical Neurology, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Rd., Oxford OX2 6HE, Great Britain.

Accepted for publication April 26, 1983.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 NeurologyHome page
J. E. Ahlskog
Slowing Parkinson's disease progression: Recent dopamine agonist trials
Neurology, February 11, 2003; 60(3): 381 - 389.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1984 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.