A comparison of the progression of early Parkinson's disease in patients started on ropinirole or L-dopa: an 18F-dopa PET study

• Published in: Journal of neural transmission Vol. 109; no. 12; pp. 1433 - 1443
• Main Authors: RAKSHI, J. S, PAVESE, N, UEMA, T, ITO, K, MORRISH, P. K, BAILEY, D. L, BROOKS, D. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wien Springer 01-12-2002; New York, NY Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Anticonvulsants. Antiepileptics. Antiparkinson agents; Antiparkinson Agents - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Dihydroxyphenylalanine - analogs & derivatives; Disease Progression; Fluorine Radioisotopes; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Indoles - administration & dosage; Levodopa - administration & dosage; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Parkinson Disease - diagnostic imaging; Parkinson Disease - drug therapy; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Human; Nervous system diseases; Dopamine; L-dopa toxicity; Parkinson disease; Neuroprotective agent; Catecholamine; Antiparkinson agent; Cerebral disorder; Ropinirole; neuroprotection; Central nervous system disease; Neurotransmitter; Degenerative disease; Levodopa; 18F-dopa PET; Parkinson's disease progression; Extrapyramidal syndrome
• ISSN: 0300-9564; 1435-1463
• DOI: 10.1007/s00702-002-0753-0

To study the relative rates of progression of early Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients started on a dopamine agonist, ropinirole, or L-dopa.
A double-blind study of 45 early PD patients [mean age 61 +/- 9.8 SD and mean symptom duration, 26 +/- 16 SD months] randomized 2 : 1 (ropinirole : L-dopa). Supplementary L-dopa was allowed if, during the trial, there was lack of a therapeutic effect. (18)F-dopa PET scans were performed at baseline (n = 45) and 2 years (n = 37).
At two years, the mean percentage reduction in putamen (18)F-dopa uptake (Ki(o)) was not significantly different between the two groups (13% ropinirole, n = 28 versus 18% L-dopa, n = 9).
We found no significant overall difference in underlying PD progression, after two years treatment, between patients groups. In summary, (18)F-dopa PET can be employed to objectively evaluate the effect of potential neuroprotective agents on dopaminergic function.