Comprehensive assessment of levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel for Turkish advanced Parkinson's disease patients

Background/aim: Levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) is an effective treatment modality in the management of advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) despite frequent adverse events and different rates of dropouts. Efficacy and safety data regarding Turkish patients on LCIG are limited. This study aims to report in detail the efficacy and adverse effect profile of LCIG among advanced PD patients from a Turkish center for movement disorders. Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients (50% male) who started receiving LCIG between December 2014 and March 2020 were recruited. The efficacy of LCIG was assessed with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III), Clinical Global Improvement (CGI) scale, and Quality of Life scale (PDQ8). Improvements in gait disorders and nonmotor features were also questioned. Adverse events (AE) were collated into 3 topics: related to percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG-J), device-related, and LCIG infusion-related. Results: Mean age and pre-LCIG disease duration were 66.7 (8.8) and 13.3 (8.0) years respectively. UPDRS III scores and H-Y scale assessments significantly improved. Better quality of life scores, clinical global improvements, and improvements in dysarthria, dysphagia, and gait were observed. None of our patients dropped out or died during a mean 17.5-month (12.3) period. Overall 20 (90.9%) patients experienced at least one AE. Twelve patients had PEG-J­related complications; three had acute abdomen. Eight (36.4%) patients had device-associated problems. Half of the patients required at least one additional endoscopic procedure and 7 had a device replaced. Mean body weight decreased from 69.5 to 62.5 kg and seven patients had newly onset PNP at a follow-up electromyography. Dyskinesia related to LCIG infusion was observed in 5 (22.7%) patients. There was no significant increase in hallucination among patients. Conclusion: LCIG is an efficient treatment modality in the management of Turkish patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Although most of the patients had at least one AE, none of them dropped out. Patient selection, patient compliance, and collaborative management are important steps affecting the success of modality.