Current strategies in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and a personalized approach to management

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. Given the aging population, the prevalence of the disease is expected to increase substantially. The mainstay of treatment has been dopamine replacement therapy with carbidopa, levodopa, dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors, catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors and amantadine. Nonmotor features, such as cognitive impairment, mood disorders, autonomic dysfunction, gastrointestinal and genitourinary dysfunction, have a substantial impact on Parkinson’s disease patients and their quality of life. This review will provide an overview on medications currently available for management of both motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Focus will be placed on recent and evolving studies evaluating symptomatic and neuroprotective effects of medications, and how such studies may impact the future management of Parkinson’s disease.

Keywords::

• dopamine agonists
• levodopa
• neuroprotection
• Parkinson’s disease
• psychosis

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Cheryl H Waters receives honoraria for speaking from Boehringer, Teva, Novartis and consulting from Teva and Novartis. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.