Treating Parkinson disease
Drug treatments for Parkinson disease aim to boost the activity of the surviving dopamine-releasing neurones in the brain. The most successful is a substance called L-dopa, which is turned into dopamine by the neurones. It is very effective for several years, but then the effects begin to wear off and unpleasant side-effects become more noticeable. Other drugs which stop the brain breaking down dopamine or enhance dopamine action can be useful for treating the early stages of Parkinson's.
