A patient is suffering from Parkinson's disease. Suggest the modern technique to treat this disease.
Answers
The goal of medical management of Parkinson disease is to provide control of signs and symptoms for as long as possible while minimizing adverse effects. Studies demonstrate that a patient's quality of life deteriorates quickly if treatment is not instituted at or shortly after diagnosis.
Symptomatic and neuroprotective therapy
Pharmacologic treatment of Parkinson disease can be divided into symptomatic and neuroprotective (disease modifying) therapy. At this time, there is no proven neuroprotective or disease-modifying therapy.
Levodopa, coupled with carbidopa, a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor (PDI), remains the gold standard of symptomatic treatment for Parkinson disease. Carbidopa inhibits the decarboxylation of levodopa to dopamine in the systemic circulation, allowing for greater levodopa distribution into the central nervous system. Levodopa provides the greatest antiparkinsonian benefit for motor signs and symptoms, with the fewest adverse effects in the short term; however, its long-term use is associated with the development of motor fluctuations (“wearing-off”) and dyskinesias. Once fluctuations and dyskinesias become problematic, they are difficult to resolve.
There are many guidelines available concerning the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Most of these advocate treating young-onset patients with a dopamine agonist and older patients with levodopa. The rationale behind this recommendation has its origins in the side effects associated with each of these drug classes: whilst levodopa leads to dyskinesia, which may not be relevant for patients with a limited life-expectancy, dopamine agonists have a much longer plasma half life which probably leads to more continuous dopamine receptor stimulation and thus decreases the occurrence and severity of dyskinesia. However, the side effects associated with the use of dopamine agonists, such as sleepiness, orthostatic problems, hallucinations and impulse control disorders are a drawback. In this overview, the hypothesis will be put forward that perhaps such a strict distinction is no longer needed. A new idea may be the early combination of levodopa with a dopamine agonist which would provide good clinical efficacy and, because of the relatively low doses involved, would reduce the side effects associated with both substances. MAO-B inhibitors may be a good option for early treatment and especially for patients who experience first motor fluctuations. Similarly, and particularly if a wearing-off symptom is present, COMT inhibitors smoothen and prolong the action of levodopa. More invasive escalation therapy comes into play when patients reach the advanced stages with problems of insufficient motor control, such as bradykinesia, rigidity and resting tremor, combined with on-time dyskinesia. The use of all oral and invasive treatment has to be individualized to gain a good motor and non-motor control and especially a good quality of life.