Motor benefit from levodopa in spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy

We report on a 16-year-old girl with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy as sociated with premature birth and typical periventricular leukomalacia, who had a dramatic improvement in motor function after treatment with carbidop a/levodopa. Kinematic and electromyographic analyses of reaching movements demonstrate that levodopa decreased muscle co-contraction, decreased,unwant ed movements, and improved her ability to,maintain a steady arm posture. Th ese findings suggest that levodopa be considered as an adjunct therapy for the treatment of spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.