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QUICK STUDY : A Weekly Digest Of New Research On Major Health Topics (Parkinson's) Tuesday, February 24, 2004; Page HE08 PARKINSON'S DISEASE A schizophrenia drug may limit involuntary movements. • THE QUESTION Nearly half of Parkinson's disease patients who receive the standard drug treatment, levodopa, develop involuntary jerking movements in the limbs and face -- a condition known as dyskinesia -- after four to six years. Does clozapine (Clozaril), which is used to treat schizophrenia, reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia? • THIS STUDY randomly assigned 38 Parkinson's patients with severe dyskinesia to receive daily doses of clozapine or a placebo for 10 weeks while continuing to take levodopa. Biweekly diaries revealed that, on average, those taking clozapine had episodes of involuntary movement that were two hours shorter and half as intense than those taking placebo. Three people taking clozapine experienced a rise in white blood cells, a dangerous side effect that required them to stop taking the drug. • WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THESE FINDINGS? People with Parkinson's disease who experience involuntary movements after levodopa treatment. • CAVEATS The results need to be verified in more people. In addition, the participants reported their own involuntary movement. Finally, the study did not compare this treatment with amantadine or surgery, which are other treatments for levodopa-associated dyskinesia. • BOTTOM LINE People with Parkinson's disease or their caregivers may wish to consult their physician about using clozapine to control involuntary movements. • FIND THIS STUDY Feb. 10 issue of Neurology; abstract online at http://www.neurology.org/current.shtml • LEARN MORE ABOUT treatments for Parkinson's disease at http://www.wemove.org and http://www.pdf.org SOURCE: Washington Post, DC http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A801-2004Feb23.html * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn