Current Pharmacotherapeutic Treatment Options in Parkinson’s Disease

Treatment options for Parkinson’s disease have greatly expanded in recent years. Pharmacological treatments, such as levodopa, dopamine receptor agonists, anticholinergic medications, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, and the catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, remain the mainstay of therapeutic intervention and are reviewed. Additionally, the traditional and new roles for amantadine are explained. Despite the great efficacy of levodopa, “levodopa-sparing strategies” in early Parkinson’s disease are emphasized in order to delay the development of difficult-to-manage motor fluctuations and dyskinesias.