Quality of life in early Parkinson's disease treated with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone

Mov Disord. 2009 Jan 15;24(1):25-31. doi: 10.1002/mds.21878.

Abstract

We aimed to investigate whether treatment with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone when compared with levodopa/carbidopa improves quality of life in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with no or minimal, nondisabling motor fluctuations. This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind study. One hundred eighty-four patients on 3 to 4 equal doses of 100/25 to 200/50 mg levodopa/carbidopa or levodopa/benserazide, 0 to 3 hours of nondisabling OFF time over a 48 hour period and no dyskinesia were randomized to levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone or levodopa/carbidopa treatment for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was quality of life as assessed by the PDQ-8. Secondary outcome measures were the UPDRS parts I-IV, and the Wearing Off Card. Treatment with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone resulted in significantly greater improvements in PDQ-8 scores compared to treatment with levodopa/carbidopa (mean difference 1.4 points, P = 0.021). Statistically significant improvements were seen predominantly in nonmotor domains (depression, personal relationships, communication, stigma, all P < 0.05; dressing P = 0.056). Patients who were randomly assigned to levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone also showed significantly greater improvement in UPDRS part II scores (P = 0.032) with UPDRS part III scores showing borderline significance. Differences in UPDRS parts I and IV and Wearing Off Card scores were not significant. Treatment with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone results in improved quality of life compared with levodopa/carbidopa in PD patients with mild or minimal, nondisabling motor fluctuations.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antiparkinson Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antiparkinson Agents / adverse effects
  • Antiparkinson Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Benserazide / administration & dosage
  • Benserazide / adverse effects
  • Benserazide / therapeutic use
  • Carbidopa / administration & dosage
  • Carbidopa / adverse effects
  • Carbidopa / therapeutic use*
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors
  • Catechols / administration & dosage
  • Catechols / therapeutic use*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / etiology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / chemically induced
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / administration & dosage
  • Levodopa / adverse effects
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nitriles / administration & dosage
  • Nitriles / therapeutic use*
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology
  • Quality of Life*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antiparkinson Agents
  • Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors
  • Catechols
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Nitriles
  • Levodopa
  • entacapone
  • Benserazide
  • Carbidopa