Complicações relacionadas a progressão da doença de Parkinson e ao uso de levodopa : um estudo sobre flutuações motoras e função orofaringea

Abstract

Patients presenting with Parkinson´s disease (PD) frequently develop motor fluctuations and loss of therapeutic benefit. Levodopa is the most effective dopaminergic agent, however, after some years of treatment motor fluctuations and dyskinesias are commonly observed. These complications are a source of disability and a therapeutic challenge. Previous studies have shown that amantadine, initially prescribed as an anti-viral substance, potentially reduce dyskinesia in PD patients. Oropharyngeal dysfunction are also frequently seen in PD patients. The latter is a cause of unsuspected aspiration leading to pneumonia and eventually death. Presently, we evaluated the effects of amantadine on daytime fluctuations and dyskinesia in PD. We performed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Twenty PD cases were randomized and 16 finished the study. In those treated with amantadine, a reduction of the duration of dyskinesia was observed (P=0,037). In this study, adverse drug reactions were not registered. We conclude that a reduction of dyskinesia was associated with the use of amantadine in PD patients. We have also studied the oropharyngeal function through videofluorocopy. We evaluated 15 patients with PD presenting dyskinesia, 12 cases with PD without dyskinesia and 7 age-matched control. Patients with PD and dyskinesias had oropharyngeal swallowing efficiency similar to control. Patients with PD and without dyskinesia had a significant reduction of oropharyngeal swallowing efficiency in relation to control (P=0,02). Silent aspiration was observed in only one case. According to this study, dyskinesia was not associated with worsening of oropharyngeal function in PD which reinforce the concept that other systems different from dopamine may be involved in the genesis of oropharyngeal dysfunction in PD.