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Ropinirole for the treatment of early Parkinson disease: a 12-month experience. Ropinirole Study Group. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ropinirole hydrochloride as dopaminergic monotherapy in patients with early Parkinson disease. DESIGN: A 6-month extension of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Ambulatory care at 22 different sites in the United States. PATIENTS: Patients who successfully completed the initial 6-month study could enter the 6-month extension study (ropinirole, n = 70; placebo, n = 77). INTERVENTION: Use of ropinirole or placebo therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The efficacy variables were the number of patients who successfully completed the 12-month study and did not require supplemental levodopa, the number of patients requiring supplemental levodopa, and the proportion of patients having an insufficient therapeutic response. RESULTS: Significantly fewer ropinirole-treated patients met criteria for insufficient therapeutic response (23 [19.8%] of 116) or required the initiation of levodopa therapy (22 [19%] of 116) compared with placebo-treated patients (60 [48%] of 125 patients for insufficient therapeutic response; 57 [45.6%] of 125 patients for additional levodopa). Significantly more ropinirole-treated patients (51 [44.0%] of 116) successfully completed the 12-month study and did not require supplemental levodopa compared with placebo-treated patients (28 [22.4%] of 125). The incidence of adverse experiences and patient withdrawals was low. CONCLUSION: Ropinirole was effective and well tolerated as monotherapy for 12 months in patients with early Parkinson disease. Arch Neurol 1998 Sep;55(9):1211-6 Sethi KD, O'Brien CF, Hammerstad JP, Adler CH, Davis TL, Taylor RL, Sanchez-Ramos J, Bertoni JM, Hauser RA Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912, USA. PMID: 9740115, UI: 98410831 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/> janet paterson 52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset snail-mail: PO Box 171 Almonte Ontario K0A 1A0 Canada website: a new voice <http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Village/6263/> e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>