2019 Volume 36 Issue 2 Pages 91-95
Introduction :
Levodopa carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) was approved for advanced Parkinson's disease (PD).
We performed LCIG therapy in patients with advanced PD.
The effect and problem including the plasma levodopa level in continues LCIG infusion were studied.
Method :
Six PD patients treated with LCIG were included in this study. Pharmacokinetics, efficacy and adverse events were assessed.
Results :
Compared with baseline, LCIG decreased off time. The degree of fluctuation of levodopa plasma concentrations were small while continues LCIG infusion.
In spite of the constant plasma levodopa, one of the 6 cases presented motor fluctuations.
Intersubject variability of levodopa plasma concentrations were present. And the plasma levodopa level of the same patient fluctuated among the days.
Therefore, there was no strict correlation between LCIG dosing rate and plasma concentration of levodopa, when compared with intravenous levodopa infusion.
The dosing rate of levodopa was adjusted according to the plasma levodopa concentration in one case.
Conclusion :
The monitoring of the levodopa plasma cncentrations is useful for determination of dosing rate.
