Bromocriptine in the treatment of advanced Parkinsonism

Abstract

The dopaminergic agonist bromocriptine in doses of 2.5-40 mg was compared with placebo in a double-blind cross-over study (12 + 12 weeks) in 11 Parkinson patients in whom bothering dyskinesia occurring after prolonged levodopa treatment limited in the levodopa dose to a level, where Parkinson symptoms still were present to an unsatisfactory degree. On the basis of changes in rating scales and the patients' preference, bromocriptine was significantly superior to placebo. Dyskinesia, occurring during bromocriptine treatment in 9 of 11 patients, disappeared within the period of study in 6 patients after dose reduction without changes in Parkinson disability scores to placebo level. Bromocriptine seem to be of value in cases where the balance between minimal dyskinesia and Parkinson symptoms is impossible to obtain with levodopa treatment alone.