Alternative Treatment Options to Levodopa and Carbidopa for Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Abstract

The most commonly used treatment for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is levodopa used in conjunction with carbidopa. Despite being able to alleviate the motor symptoms of PD, it is unable to slow down the progression of the disease or give neuroprotective effects. There is no effective cure for PD or any treatment that is able to prevent the advancement of Parkinson’s pathology. The purpose of this research was to examine different combinations of treatments and medications that provide best results for patients and investigate novel research that is conducted in order to target the causes of PD, rather than its effects and symptoms. Interviews of doctors were conducted in order to determine the most commonly used treatments and what they have had success with when treating patients. The results revealed that levodopa still remains the most effective treatment, but its effects can be improved by adjunctive medications or therapies. Recent research also suggests that drugs that target other factors of PD pathology separate from dopaminergic neurons provide more neuroprotective effects and may be able to prevent the progression of the disease.