Oral levodopa dose-response study in MPTP-induced hemiparkinsonian monkeys: Assessment with a new rating scale for monkey parkinsonism
✍ Scribed by Dr. Roger Kurlan; Michael H. Kim; Don M. Gash
- Book ID
- 102948404
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1991
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 650 KB
- Volume
- 6
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-3185
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Quantitative measures for the severity of MPTP-induced parkinsonism and response to antiparkinsonian interventions in monkeys have been lacking. We carried out an oral levodopa dose-response study in two rhesus monkeys whose left hemiparkinsonism was induced by intracarotid administration of MPTP. A newly developed clinical rating scale of monkey parkinsonism showed a consistent dose-response relationship for levodopa over the dosage range of 50-3,500 mg/day. Antiparkinsonian effects appeared at 200 mg/day and were optimal at 1,000-2,000 mg/day. Levodopa also reversed rotational behavior, improved movement times for both the impaired and opposite upper limb, and produced dyskinesias at high dosages. Thus, MPTP-induced hemiparkinsonism in monkeys closely resembles the human disease condition, is associated with sensitive response measures, and should prove valuable for assessing novel antiparkinsonian therapies.