Long-term tolerability and efficacy of cabergoline, a new long-acting dopamine agonist, in Parkinson's disease.

Motor fluctuations constitute a severe complication of chronic levodopa therapy. The addition of dopamine agonists may partially alleviate these responses; however, due to the short half-life of these drugs, several daily doses are required. Cabergoline is a new dopamine agonist with a long half-life and can be given in a single daily dose. Seventeen patients with severe fluctuations were treated with cabergoline, seven of them for > 1 year (up to 39 months). The motor status ameliorated and the percentage of "off" hours significantly decreased in the first year and did not increase significantly later during long-term follow-up. Cabergoline is a promising treatment for parkinsonian patients with motor fluctuations.