HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Poewe, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Poewe, W.

Neurology supplements are not peer-reviewed. Information contained in Neurology supplements represent the opinions of the authors and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views of the American Academy of Neurology, Editor-in-Chief, or Associate Editors of Neurology.

The role of COMT inhibition in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease

From the Department of Neurology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Werner Poewe, Department of Neurology, University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

Several prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated that combining levodopa with the COMT inhibitor entacapone is efficacious in reducing motor fluctuations. Compared with levodopa alone, mean daily "on" time was increased by 1–1.7 hours, with a corresponding decrease in daily "off" time. In addition, some studies have shown that these benefits are associated with significant improvements in both UPDRS motor and ADL scores. These benefits have been shown to persist in long-term clinical trials with follow-up for up to 3 years. Recent studies have also examined the value of combining levodopa with entacapone in stable patients who do not experience motor response fluctuations. Here, too, benefits have been reported, especially in health-related quality of life measures. Studies to determine if administering levodopa in combination with entacapone will delay the development of dyskinesia and motor fluctuations are eagerly awaited.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. M. Mouradian Should levodopa be infused into the duodenum? Neurology, January 25, 2005; 64(2): 182 - 183. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Elovaara, J. Mikkola, L. Luukkanen, L. Antonio, S. Fournel-Gigleux, B. Burchell, J. Magdalou, and J. Taskinen ASSESSMENT OF CATECHOL INDUCTION AND GLUCURONIDATION IN RAT LIVER MICROSOMES Drug Metab. Dispos., December 1, 2004; 32(12): 1426 - 1433. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]