Long-Term Treatment of Parkinsonism With Levodopa

Abstract

Investigators all over the world have confirmed that levodopa not only relieves the akinesia and rigidity of parkinsonism but also ameliorates tremor in patients treated more than six months. An additional and unexpected benefit of the therapy is the improvement in intellectual function and memory in some patients. Although levodopa has some adverse side effects, it holds great promise in areas other than treatment of parkinsonism and has introduced an exciting new era of chemoanatomy.