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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1989 Mar;52(3):324–328. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.52.3.324

The Sydney Multicentre Study of Parkinson's disease: a report on the first 3 years.

M A Hely 1, J G Morris 1, D Rail 1, W G Reid 1, D J O'Sullivan 1, P M Williamson 1, S Genge 1, G A Broe 1
PMCID: PMC1032404  PMID: 2647907

Abstract

One hundred and twenty nine de novo patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease are being followed over a 5 year period in a double-blind multicentre study comparing low-dose bromocriptine (less than 30 mg/day) with low-dose levodopa-carbidopa (less than 600/150 mg/day). Sixty six patients have been randomised to bromocriptine and 63 patients to levodopa-carbidopa. Improvement has been greater in the levodopa-carbidopa group than in the bromocriptine group. Involuntary movements have so far only occurred in patients on levodopa-carbidopa, the incidence being much lower than is usually described with conventional doses. Mild, end-of-dose failure has occurred in both treatment groups; however, no patient has developed the "on-off" phenomenon. Low-dose levodopa-carbidopa appears to be a more effective anti-Parkinsonian treatment than low-dose bromocriptine but more prone to cause dyskinesia.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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