Pharmacotherapy in Parkinson's disease: case studies

Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2010 Mar;3(2):117-26. doi: 10.1177/1756285609352366.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder with the particular feature of having various available treatments with proven efficacy. However, no treatment is curative. Recent trial results provided data for the discussion about the potential disease-modifying effect of new drugs as well as of other therapeutic strategies. The changing clinical phenotype following the progression of the disease multiplies the number of treatment targets and makes the application of recommendations from guidelines or other treatment algorithms to the individual patient a complex task. In the present manuscript, we discuss the treatment management of three case studies illustrating different stages of disease with distinct phenomenology. The proposed therapeutic alternatives are discussed based on the best data available; that is, treatment guidelines, clinical trial results or observational data.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; case studies; guidelines; treatment.