Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1971 Feb;34(1):14–19. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.34.1.14

l-Dopa in Parkinsonism associated with cerebellar dysfunction (probable olivopontocerebellar degeneration)

Harold L Klawans Jr 1, Earl Zeitlin 1
PMCID: PMC493679  PMID: 5551687

Abstract

Two patients with combined cerebellar and Parkinsonian features consistent with olivopontocerebellar degeneration were treated with long term oral l-dopa. Both patients showed improvement of the Parkinsonian symptoms but the cerebellar symptoms were unchanged. It is suggested that the Parkinsonian manifestations of this syndrome are related to loss of dopamine in the striatum secondary to lesions of the substantia nigra. It is suggested that other patients with similar disorders should be given a trial with l-dopa.

Full text

PDF
14

Selected References

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

  1. ANDEN N. E., CARLSSON A., DAHLSTROEM A., FUXE K., HILLARP N. A., LARSSON K. DEMONSTRATION AND MAPPING OUT OF NIGRO-NEOSTRIATAL DOPAMINE NEURONS. Life Sci. 1964 Jun;3:523–530. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(64)90161-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ANDEN N. E., DAHLSTROEM A., FUXE K., LARSSON K. FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF NIGRO-NEOSTRIATAL DOPAMINE NEURONS IN THE RAT. Am J Anat. 1965 Jan;116:329–333. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001160117. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ANDEN N. E., ROOS B. E., WERDINIUS B. On the occurrence of homovanillic acid in brain and cerebrospinal fluid and its determination by a fluorometric method. Life Sci. 1963 Jul;(7):448–458. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(63)90132-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BARBEAU A. The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease: a new hypothesis. Can Med Assoc J. 1962 Oct 13;87:802–807. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Barolin G. S., Hornykiewicz O. Zur diagnostischen Wertigkeit der Homovanillinsäure im Liquor cerebrospinalis. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 1967 Nov 3;79(44):815–818. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bartholini G., Pletscher A., Tissot R. On the origin of homovanillic acid in the cerebrospinal fluid. Experientia. 1966 Sep 15;22(9):609–610. doi: 10.1007/BF01895283. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bernheimer H., Birkmayer W., Hornykiewicz O. Homovanillinsäure im Liquor cerebrospinalis: Untersuchungen beim Parkinson-Syndrom und anderen Erkrankungen des ZNS. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 1966 Jun 10;78(23):417–419. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. GREENFIELD J. G., BOSANQUET F. D. The brain-stem lesions in Parkinsonism. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1953 Nov;16(4):213–226. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.16.4.213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Godwin-Austen R. B., Tomlinson E. B., Frears C. C., Kok H. W. Effects of L-dopa in Parkinson's disease. Lancet. 1969 Jul 26;2(7613):165–168. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)91417-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hornykiewicz O. Dopamine (3-hydroxytyramine) and brain function. Pharmacol Rev. 1966 Jun;18(2):925–964. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Klawans H. L., Jr, Erlich M. L-dopa and the negative symptoms of Parkinsonism. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1969 Oct;32(5):460–461. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.32.5.460. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Klawans H. L., Jr, Garvin J. S. Treatment of parkinsonism with L-dopa (study of 105 patients). Dis Nerv Syst. 1969 Nov;30(11):737–746. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Klawans H. L., Jr The pharmacology of parkinsonism (a review). Dis Nerv Syst. 1968 Dec;29(12):805–816. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. McLennan H., York D. H. The action of dopamine on neurones of the caudate nucleus. J Physiol. 1967 Apr;189(3):393–402. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008175. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pletscher A., Bartholini G., Tissot R. Metabolic fate of l-[14C] DOPA in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma of humans. Brain Res. 1967 Feb;4(1):106–109. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(67)90154-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Weiner W., Harrison W., Klawans H. L-dopa and cerebrospinal fluid homovanillic acid in Parkinsonism. Life Sci. 1969 Sep 1;8(17):971–976. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(69)90428-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES