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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1973 Dec;36(6):936–941. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.36.6.936

Anticholinergic withdrawal and benzhexol treatment in Parkinson's disease

P M Horrocks 1, D J Vicary 1, J E Rees 1, J D Parkes 1, C D Marsden 1
PMCID: PMC1083593  PMID: 4772727

Abstract

The effects of slow withdrawal of anticholinergic medication and addition of benzhexol (8 mg/day) have been studied in patients with Parkinson's disease on stable levodopa therapy. Withdrawal of anticholinergic drugs led to measurable and often severe deterioration in about two-thirds of patients. Addition of benzhexol produced a slight but definite additional improvement in those patients in whom anticholinergics were withdrawn before the trial. Anticholinergic drugs thus still have a part to play in the treatment of Parkinson's disease, for they produce benefit in addition to that provided by levodopa.

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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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