C H A P T E R 2 4
Antiparkinsonism agents
383
■■
Adjunctive drugs are used to increase the
responsiveness of the cells to dopamine. They act to
decrease the breakdown of dopamine, leaving it on
the receptor for longer periods of time.
■■
Adjunctive drugs are only used in combination with
carbidopa–levodopa and are usually reserved for
use when the person stops responding adequately to
traditional therapy.
CHAPTER SUMMARY
■■
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, chronic
neurological disorder for which there is no cure.
■■
Loss of dopamine-secreting neurons in the substantia
nigra is characteristic of Parkinson’s disease.
Destruction of dopamine-secreting cells leads to an
imbalance between excitatory cholinergic cells and
inhibitory dopaminergic cells.
■■
Signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include
tremor, changes in posture and gait, slow and
deliberate movements (bradykinesia) and eventually
drooling and changes in speech.
■■
Drug therapy for Parkinson’s disease is aimed at
restoring the dopamine–acetylcholine balance. The
signs and symptoms of the disease can be managed
until the degeneration of neurons is so extensive that
a therapeutic response no longer occurs.
■■
Anticholinergic drugs are used to block the excitatory
cholinergic receptors and dopaminergic drugs are
used to increase dopamine levels or to directly
stimulate dopamine receptors.
■■
Many adverse effects are associated with the drugs
used for treating Parkinson’s disease, including
CNS changes, anticholinergic effects when using the
anticholinergics (atropine-like or parasympathetic
blocking effects) and dopamine stimulation
(sympathetic-type effects) in the peripheral nervous
system when using the dopaminergics.
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ONLINE RESOURCES
An extensive range of additional resources to enhance teaching
and learning and to facilitate understanding of this chapter may
be found online at the text’s accompanying website, located on
thePoint at
These include Watch and
Learn videos, Concepts in Action animations, journal articles,
review questions, case studies, discussion topics and quizzes.
KEY POINTS
WEB LINKS
Healthcare providers and students may want to consult
the following Internet sources:
Home page of Parkinson’s Australia. Information on
parkinsonism, ataxia and related disorders, including
support groups, research and treatment.
Home page of Parkinson’s New Zealand. Information
on parkinsonism, ataxia and related disorders,
including support groups, research and treatment.
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