Idiopathic Parkinsonism Treated with an Extracerebral Decarboxylase Inhibitor in Combination with Levodopa

Abstract

The clinical actions of levodopa in Parkinsonism, given with and without an extracerebral decarboxylase inhibitor, L-alpha-methyldopahydrazine, were compared. Twenty-one patients were investigated in a “double-blind cross-over” study, administering levodopa in maximum tolerated dosage. L-Alpha-methyldopahydra-zine failed to augment the overall therapeutic actions of levodopa but it consistently alleviated nausea. It is concluded that L-alpha-methyldopahydrazine will prove useful in the management of some Parkinsonian patients who have difficulty in taking levodopa alone. © 1971, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.