[New therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease based on pharmacological profiles].

Although levodopa is the most effective therapeutic agent for Parkinson's disease (PD) and has improved the QOL and increased the life expectancy of patients with PD, its beneficial effects are not permanent. Long-term levodopa therapy has many problems, including wearing-off, on-off phnonena, dyskinesia and psychotic symptoms, and has created serious problems for patients with PD. New therapeutic strategies are therefore needed to treat patients with PD. Given the well-known imbalance between dopaminergic and cholinergic activities in brain of PD patients, recent drug therapy has consisted of a multi-drug regimen, with low doses of levodopa, dopamine agonists, amantadine and anti-cholinergics. The most important is combination therapy with a dopamine agonist and low dose levodopa. This combination therapy is likely to create a better balance between postsynaptic D2- and D1-receptors and to maintain a normal dopamine neurotransmission for longer periods.