Continuous dopaminergic stimulation by Duodopa® in advanced Parkinson's disease: Efficacy and safety

Introduction. - When advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) patients experience motor complications (fluctuations and dyskinesias) despite standard oral treatment, two treatment options are available: deep brain stimulation and subcutaneous apomorphine infusion with respects of indications for each strategy. Continuous intraduodenal infusion of levodopa (Duodopa (R)) via a gastrojejunal tube may be proposed at this stage of the disease and the study of indications and clinical results with Duodopa (R) may develop this new therapeutic alternative. Patients and methods. - Seven patients with advanced PD (dementia for all and psychiatric disorders for some of them, axial signs) were treated with Duodopa (R). We evaluated neuropsychological functions, all UPDRS scales, gait and quality-of-life just before Duodopa (R) onset and six months after treatment end. Moreover, we described all adverse events (early and late) and studied daily levodopa doses before and 6 months after treatment. Results. - We demonstrated an improvement in motor UPDRS (44%), in axial signs (40% for UPDRS part III axial subscore and 12% for gait) and a reduction of fluctuations (37.5%) and in UPDRS part IV dyskinesia (20%). These significant results are observed without any change in the quality-of-life. Adverse events were due to PEG positioning for four patients, the equipment (pump, connection, inner tube) for all patients and levodopa for four patients. Daily levodopa dose had to be increased 13.5%. Conclusion. - Duodopa (R) can be considered as a new treatment strategy providing significant improvements in motor fluctuations, dyskinesia and severe axial signs. These results were demonstrated in very advanced PD patients, who had been excluded from previous studies, with cognitive disorders and for some of them dopaminergic psychosis well controlled by medications. (c) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.