Long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease with levodopa and other adjunctive drugs.

We report a long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease in out-patient clinics. The patients with Parkinson's disease were evaluated at the time of clinic visit from September 1st, 2015 to February 29th, 2016. Total number of the patients was 498. The age at the evaluation was 69.9 ± 9.3 years and the age of onset was 60.2 ± 11.3. Hoehn and Yahr severity was 3.28 ± 0.94 in patients who were from 16 to 20 years (n = 53) and 3.00 ± 0.86 in patients from 21 years or more (n = 38) from the onset of the disease to the evaluation. The dose of levodopa was 741 ± 295 mg per day and the number of levodopa dosing was 5.85 ± 2.59 times in 16-20 years from the onset to the evaluation and 703 ± 251 mg/day and 6.03 ± 3.20 times a day in 21 years or more from the onset to the evaluation. Levodopa was given in most cases into an empty stomach. The incidence of wearing off was 73.6% and dyskinesia was 37.7% in the 16-20 years group and 76.3% and 55.3% in 21 years or more group, respectively. The patients who had 15 years or less from the onset to the evaluation had much milder severity of the disease. Hoehn and Yahr severity, the dose of levodopa, and the incidence of wearing off were about the same as in the literature. But the incidence of dyskinesia was much lower than those appeared in the literature. We discussed reasons why the incidence of dyskinesia was lower in our study.

[Neuro-otological Studies of Patients Suffering from Dizziness with Cerebrospinal Fluid Hypovolemia after Traffic Accident-associated Whiplash Injuries].

Vertigo and dizziness are common clinical manifestations after traffic accident-associated whiplash injury. Recently, Shinonaga et al. (2001) suggested that more than 80% of patients with whiplash injury complaining of these symptoms showed cerebrospinal (CSF) hypovolemia on radioisotope (RI) cisternography (111In-DTPA). However, neuro-otological studies to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these symptoms have been insufficient. In the present study, patients complaining of these symptoms with CSF hypovolemia after traffic accidents were investigated with posturography and electronystagmography (ENG). Fourteen patients (4 men, 10 women; 24-52 yr) were examined with posturography and showed parameters (tracking distance & area) significantly (p<0.01) larger than those of healthy subjects. Among them, five cases (1 man, 4 women; 31-52 yr) were further investigated with ENG. The slow phase peak velocities of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and optokinetic-after nystagmus (OKAN) were significantly (p<0.01) reduced (62.64±6.9 SD deg/sec, 60.76±10.74 SD deg/sec, respectively) and frequencies of OKN were reduced (139.7±10.75 SD), while the ocular smooth pursuit was relatively preserved. Magnetic resonance images (sagittal view) of these five patients demonstrated the downward displacement of the cerebellar tonsils and flattening of the pons, which are characteristic features of CSF hypovolemia, called "brain sagging." Our results suggest that brain sagging due to CSF hypovolemia impairs vestibular and vestibulocerebellar functions, which may cause dizziness and vertigo.