Scientific publications
Cabergoline in Parkinson's disease: long-term follow-up
Lera G., Vaamonde J., Rodríguez M., Obeso J.A.
Department of Neurology, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
We treated 36 patients with motor fluctuations and dyskinesias on chronic levodopa therapy with cabergoline (CBG) once a day for a mean period of 14.2 +/- 5.8 months. There was a significant increase in the "on" hours and a reduction in "off-period" dystonia.
Ten patients continued to show a marked improvement after 28.3 months of treatment (mean dose, 11.3 +/- 4.5 mg). In 23 patients, increased dyskinesias (daily CBG dose, 11 +/- 4.3 mg) had complicated the positive effect after 17.2 +/- 4.8 months. Three patients (daily CBG dose, 14.3 mg) were therapeutic failures, and administration of CBG was stopped. Side effects leading to CBG discontinuation were visual hallucinations (n = 5), heart failure (n = 5), and nausea and vomiting (n = 1). Plasma CBG levels, measured in seven patients taking 3, 5, or 7 mg daily (po), showed fairly stable concentrations throughout the 24 hours.
We concluded that CBG is an efficient dopamine agonist that can provide continuous dopaminergic stimulation when taken orally once a day.
CITATION Neurology. 1993 Dec;43(12):2587-90