Dementia in idiopathic Parkinson's syndrome.

Approximately 25% of patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD) later develop dementia, with the typical characteristics as detailed in ICD-10 and DSM-IV. Differential diagnosis has to exclude dementia due to Lewy bodies, subcortical vascular encephalopathy and subcortical dementia due to progressive supranuclear paralysis or corticobasal degeneration. Several studies showed promising results for cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezile, rivastigmine and galantamine.

Pramipexole in routine clinical practice: a prospective observational trial in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: The mixed dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist pramipexole is effective as monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease and as adjunctive therapy in advanced disease. Clinical trials suggest that the benefits of pramipexole may extend beyond the relief of motor symptoms (akinesia, rigidity and tremor at rest) to amelioration of depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease. The aim of this study was to confirm the beneficial effects of pramipexole on the core symptoms of Parkinson's disease (with a focus on tremor), as well as to assess its antidepressant activity, during routine clinical practice.