Pathophysiology of levodopa-induced dyskinesia: Potential for new therapies

Involuntary movements - or dyskinesias - are a debilitating complication of levodopa therapy for Parkinson's disease, and is experienced in most patie nts. Despite the importance of this problem, little was known about the cau se of dyskinesia until recently; however, this situation has changed signif icantly in the past few years. Our increased understanding of levodopa-indu ced dyskinesia is not only valuable for improving patient care, but also in providing us with new insights into the functional organization of the bas al ganglia and motor systems.