Abstract
To identify putative risk factors for levodopa-induced dyskinesias we studied the effect of several clinical variables on the occurrence of dyskinesias in a series of 168 consecutive patients with Parkinson’s disease treated for at least 6 months with levodopa. Of these, 108 (64%) developed dyskinesias after a mean duration of levodopa treatment of 51.4 ± 43.3 months. Patients tended to suffer dyskinesias on the side of the body first affected by Parkinson’s disease. The overall probability of developing dyskinesias increased with levodopa treatment duration, about 10% per year during the first 7 years. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the age at onset of Parkinson’s disease (OR 0.923; 95% CI 0.883–0.964) and the initial levodopa dose (mean dose of the first 6 months of treatment; OR 1.004; 95% CI 1.002–1.006) as the main independent predictors. Survival curves showed that onset of Parkinson’s disease at age 50 years or before (logrank, P < 0.05) and initial levodopa treatment with more than 600 mg/day (logrank, P < 0.05) were associated with a higher risk for the appearance of dyskinesias.
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Received: 18 May 1999 Received in revised form: 7 June 1999 Accepted: 20 June 1999
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Grandas, F., Galiano, M. & Tabernero, C. Risk factors for levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol 246, 1127–1133 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004150050530
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004150050530