RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Regional cerebral blood flow in patients with Parkinson's disease under chronic levodopa therapy: measurements during "on" and "off" response fluctuations.
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 1301
OP 1304
DO 10.1136/jnnp.49.11.1301
VO 49
IS 11
A1 Melamed, E
A1 Globus, M
A1 Mildworf, B
YR 1986
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/49/11/1301.abstract
AB In ten Parkinsonians who developed dose-related response fluctuations under long-term levodopa therapy, regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and plasma levodopa levels were measured simultaneously, once during an "off" phase and again at an "on" stage of clinical benefit induced by a single oral dose of levodopa. Although plasma levodopa increased threefold during the "on" period, rCBF and the degree of its reduction from normal age-matched control values remained unchanged and similar to those in the "off" phase. Study suggests that the rCBF decreases in Parkinson's disease are unaffected by levodopa and are not due to deficient dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain.