Novel antiepileptic drug levetiracetam decreases dyskinesia elicited by L-dopa and ropinirole in the MPTP-lesioned marmoset.
Mov. Disord.. 2003-08-21; 18(11): 1301-1305
DOI: 10.1002/mds.10542
Read on PubMed
1. Mov Disord. 2003 Nov;18(11):1301-5.
Novel antiepileptic drug levetiracetam decreases dyskinesia elicited by L-dopa
and ropinirole in the MPTP-lesioned marmoset.
Hill MP(1), Bezard E, McGuire SG, Crossman AR, Brotchie JM, Michel A, Grimée R,
Klitgaard H.
Author information:
(1)Motac Neuroscience Ltd, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Long-term dopamine replacement therapy of Parkinson’s disease leads to the
occurrence of dyskinesias. Altered firing patterns of neurons of the internal
globus pallidus, involving a pathological synchronization/desynchronization
process, may contribute significantly to the genesis of dyskinesia.
Levetiracetam, an antiepileptic drug that counteracts neuronal
(hyper)synchronization in animal models of epilepsy, was assessed in the
MPTP-lesioned marmoset model of Parkinson’s disease, after coadministration with
(1) levodopa (L-dopa) or (2) ropinirole/L-dopa combination. Oral administration
of levetiracetam (13-60 mg/kg) in combination with either L-dopa (12 mg/kg) alone
or L-dopa (8 mg/kg)/ropinirole (1.25 mg/kg) treatments was associated with
significantly less dyskinesia, in comparison to L-dopa monotherapy during the
first hour after administration. Thus, new nondopaminergic treatment strategies
targeting normalization of abnormal firing patterns in basal ganglia structures
may prove useful as an adjunct to reduce dyskinesia induced by dopamine
replacement therapy without affecting its antiparkinsonian action.
DOI: 10.1002/mds.10542
PMID: 14639671 [Indexed for MEDLINE]