The modern pre-levodopa era of Parkinson's disease: insights into motor complications from sub-Saharan Africa.

ABSTRACT: During the past decade, a number of large drug trials suggested that the initiation of levodopa therapy should be delayed to reduce the risk of motor complications in patients with Parkinson's disease. However, the relative contribution of the cumulative exposure to levodopa and of disease progression to the pathophysiology of motor fluctuations and dyskinesias is still poorly understood. In this 4-year multicentre study, we investigated a large cohort of patients with Parkinson's disease in a sub-Saharan African country (Ghana), where access to medication is limited and the initiation of levodopa therapy often occurs many years after onset. The primary objective was to investigate whether the occurrence of motor complications is primarily related to the duration of levodopa therapy or to

SUBMITTER: Cilia R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4163032 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature