Initiating dopamine agonists rather than levodopa in early Parkinson's disease does not delay the need for deep brain stimulation.

Background And Purpose: While levodopa is the most effective symptomatic treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), its use is associated with an increased risk of motor complications (MCs) in the first 5 years of treatment compared to dopamine agonist (DA) first therapy. It is not known whether this translates into true benefit later in the disease. We aimed to determine whether there is a difference in the time between initial levodopa versus DA treatment and the development of disabling MCs prompting deep brain stimulation (DBS) consideration.

A Multicenter Comparative Study of Impulse Control Disorder in Latin American Patients With Parkinson Disease.

Objectives: Impulse control disorder (ICD) is a common adverse effect in patients with Parkinson disease who receive dopamine agonists; however, other factors are involved in its manifestations. To study the frequency and factors involved in the development of this adverse effect in a Latin American population, we conducted a cross-sectional multicenter study.

Methods: Two hundred fifty-five patients in 3 Latin American centers were evaluated by examination and application of scales (Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale, Hoehn and Yahr, Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease).