Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting 1% of people 65 years and older.1 The core symptoms include the motor manifestations of tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity. Asymmetric onset and response to dopaminergic therapy are typical of idiopathic PD compared with other causes of parkinsonism. As the disease progresses, postural instability, motor fluctuations, ...

Spinal-generated movement disorders (SGMDs) include spinal segmental myoclonus, propriospinal myoclonus, orthostatic tremor, secondary paroxysmal dyskinesias, stiff person syndrome and its variants, movements in brain death, and painful legs-moving toes syndrome. In this paper, we review the relevant anatomy and physiology of SGMDs, characterize and demonstrate their clinical features, and pres...

The basal ganglia are part of a neuronal network organized in parallel circuits. The "motor circuit" is most relevant to the pathophysiology of movement. Abnormal increment or reduction in the inhibitory output activity of basal ganglia give rise, respectively, to poverty and slowness of movement (i.e., Parkinson's disease) or dyskinesias.

L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias or abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) are a debilitating adverse complication associated with prolonged L-DOPA administration for Parkinson's disease. Few treatments are currently available for dyskinesias. Our recent data showed that nicotine reduced L-DOPA-induced AIMs in parkinsonian animal models. An important question is the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (n...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. While its cause remains elusive, much progress has been made regarding its treatment. Available drugs have a good symptomatic effect, but none has yet been shown to slow the progression of the disease in humans. The most efficacious drug is levodopa, but it remains unclear whether the symptomatic benefit is associated with neurotox...

OBJECTIVE To examine follow up results of unilateral ventral medial pallidotomy in 22 patients with advanced Parkinson's disease more than 1 year after the operation in comparison with their results (previously reported) at 3 months. METHODS Twenty patients who had undergone unilateral pallidotomy were assessed with the core assessment programme for intracerebral transplantation (CAPIT) proto...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether Mucuna pruriens (MP), a levodopa-containing leguminous plant growing in all tropical areas worldwide, may be used as alternative source of levodopa for indigent individuals with Parkinson disease (PD) who cannot afford long-term therapy with marketed levodopa preparations. METHODS We investigated efficacy and safety of single-dose intake of MP powder from roas...

BACKGROUND Dyskinesias associated with involuntary movements and painful muscle contractions are a common and severe complication of standard levodopa (L-DOPA, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) therapy for Parkinson's disease. Pathologic neuroplasticity leading to hyper-responsive dopamine receptor signaling in the sensorimotor striatum is thought to underlie this currently untreatable condition. ...