APOMORPHINE TEST IN IDIOPATHIC PARKINSONI AN SYNDROME-DOSAGE AND CORRESPONDING PARAMETERS

The apomorphine test is a well known indicator of therapeutic responsi veness to dopaminergic substances and a reliable instrument for the di fferential diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The relationsh ip between apomorphine dosage and the following parameters, namely age , duration of disease, body height, body surface, skinfold thickness o f the abdominal wall and the upper arm as a measure of subcutaneous fa tty tissue, and amount of administered L-dopa was studied in 45 patien ts with Parkinson's disease in whom the apomorphine test was positive. In addition we investigated whether different doses of apomorphine re sulted in significant differences of the parameters studied. The deter mined parameters correlated with the given dose of apomorphine (p < 0. 05) and thus, represent a potential indicator for optimal L-dopa dose determination and intermittent or continuous apomorphine administratio n.