Parkinson’s Disease Treatments – Parkinson’s News Today

Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the loss of motor control and various non-motor symptoms such as mood disorders, constipation, cognitive impairment, and problems with speech and swallowing.

The symptoms are primarily caused by a lack of a chemical called dopamine in the brain. Because there is currently no cure for Parkinsons disease, availabletreatments are focused on increasing the levels of dopamine in the brains of patients, or on controlling the symptoms themselves.

Medications for Parkinsons disease patients include those that aim to regulate the level of dopamine in the brain in an effort to reduce the severity of symptoms.

One treatment option provides additional dopamine to the brain. Generally, this is done using a natural chemical called levodopa that is converted to dopamine in the brain. Substances that mimic dopamine (called dopamine agonists) can also be used; these are considered a different class of drugs than levodopa.

Another method of increasing the level of dopamine in the brain is by stopping the body from eliminatingthe dopamine that is already present. There are medications available that can inhibit the action of certain enzymes (biological catalysts used to conduct a reaction) that normally break down dopamine in the brain. These are most commonly MAO-B (monoamine oxidase-B) inhibitors, but COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) inhibitorscan also be used.

Parkinsons patients can also be prescribed medication that directly targets symptom depending on their severity. Treatments for motor symptoms can include anticholinergics or antispasmodicsto treat tremors, or amantadineto treat involuntary muscle movements that may be caused by levodopa therapy.

There are also treatments available for non-motor symptoms.Northera (droxidopa)is approved to treat low blood pressure in Parkinsons patients, and Nuplazid (pimavanserin) was approved in 2016 by the FDA to treatParkinsons disease psychosis, including hallucinations.

Some patients may also be eligiblefor surgical intervention. The most common type of surgery is deep brain stimulation, which can be used to treat motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems. Other surgical procedures include thalamotomy, pallidotomy and subthalamotomy.

Parkinsons disease patients are frequently prescribed supportive therapies (including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech and language therapy) to help manage their disease symptoms.

Research into Parkinsons disease is ongoing. The Michael J. Fox Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research into therapies for Parkinsons disease, supports research to identify new targets for therapies as well as improving current therapies.

There are a numberof investigational treatments for Parkinsons disease currently being tested in clinical trials. Here are some of them:

Parkinsons News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Parkinson's Disease Treatments - Parkinson's News Today