Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2000 Nov:123 ( Pt 11):2297-305.
doi: 10.1093/brain/123.11.2297.

Dyskinesias and motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease. A community-based study

A Schrag  1 , N Quinn
Affiliations

Dyskinesias and motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease. A community-based study

A Schrag et al. Brain. 2000 Nov.

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of dyskinesias and motor fluctuations, and the factors determining their occurrence, in a community-based population of patients with Parkinson's disease. Among 124 patients with Parkinson's disease, 87 (70%) had received a levodopa preparation. Among these 87 patients, 28% were experiencing treatment-induced dyskinesias and 40% response fluctuations. The prevalence of motor fluctuations was best predicted by disease duration and dose of levodopa, whereas dyskinesias could be best predicted by duration of treatment. Patients with a shorter time from symptom onset to initiation of levodopa and younger patients had developed motor complications earlier, and patients who had started treatment with a dopamine agonist had developed these treatment complications later. Although a satisfactory response to medication was associated with higher rates of motor complications, poor or moderate response was associated with lower quality of life in patients with a disease duration of </=5 years or >/=10 years. We conclude that motor fluctuations are most strongly related to disease duration and dose of levodopa, and dyskinesias to duration of levodopa treatment. However, poorer quality of life associated with inadequate dosage of levodopa may be the price for a low rate of motor complications in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources