Current treatment of Parkinson disease

Abstract

Levodopa has been the most efficacious drug for the treatment of motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease. However, its pulsatile stimulation on dopamine receptors causes motor complications such as wearing off phenomenon and dyskinesia. Therefore, in the post–levodopa era therapeutic developments for Parkinson's disease are focused on the concept of “continuous dopaminergic stimulation”. To date, various remedies have been launched. In the present lecture, I explained clinical evidences of recently developed dopaminergic and non–dopaminergic drugs and devices, and introduced desirable strategies against advanced Parkinson's disease recommended in the latest Japanese guideline.