With ongoing Levodopa therapy for months or more commonly, a few years of treatment, two major types of motor complications tend to arise: motor fluctuations and dyskinesias. Motor fluctuations are variations in mobility associated with the effectiveness of levodopa when patients can tell when their medications kick in and wear off (the short duration response [...]
Amantadine is also an older medication which was initially developed to help prevent influenza Type A. It was subsequently found to have a mild but definite effect on Parkinson’s without worsening typical symptoms. More recently, it has been found to be helpful in reducing levodopa-induced dyskinesias and now is predominantly used in advanced Parkinson’s disease [...]
Fortunately, there are more advanced options to consider if medical therapies do not seem to alleviate the symptoms of dyskinesia: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Deep brain stimulation (DBS) should be considered for patients who have disabling motor fluctuations and dyskinesias despite optimal medication therapy or severe medication-refractory tremor. Surgery should not be unnecessarily delayed when [...]
Both dyskinesia and “off” episodes are common later in the disease course of Parkinson’s. Sometimes patients and their caregivers often have difficulty differentiating between the two states. This article aims to help clarify this differences and discuss available treatment options. Dyskinesia Dyskinesia is an involuntary [...]
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