9-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF BROMOCRIPTINE MONOTHERAPY FOR PARKINSONS-DISEASE

A 9-year nationwide study of bromocriptine monotherapy and combination therapy with bromocriptine and levodopa in Parkinson's disease is rep orted. Eleven patients were on bromocriptine monotherapy, 35 patients were on combined treatment of bromocriptine and levodopa for a certain time during a 9-year period. Maintenance doses of bromocriptine at th e end of the 9th year in the two groups were 11.1 mg/day in the monoth erapy and 12.7 mg/day in the combination therapy group with levodopa. Changes in Hoehn and Yahr's grading between the time of trial start an d the end of 108 months' treatment revealed that 5 of 11 cases in the monotherapy group remained in the same stages, the other 2 cases impro ved in condition from stage II to I, and another 4 deteriorated compar ed with pretreatment grade. On the other hand, 20 of 35 cases in the c ombination therapy group reached more advanced stages, 3 patients movi ng to stage V. Four of them, however, improved, and 11 did not change at the end of 9 years of treatment. Although it is difficult to prove the neuroprotective effect of a dopamine receptor agonist, our long-te rm nationwide collaborative studies will help us to answer the questio n of how bromocriptine works in pharmacokinetic aspects.