Treatment strategies in Parkinson's disease after a quarter century experiences with L-DOPA therapy.

Parkinson's disease is treated in relation to its symptoms and stage in any individual plan of therapy. L-Dopa treatment is the most effective method of therapy and there is no evidence that would prohibit the early application of L-Dopa. The side-effects and motor complications during long-term L-Dopa treatment have led to give preference to combinations of L-Dopa with other anti-Parkinsonian agents. It is still controversial as to which combination of agents sould be used and whether L-Dopa long-term problems demand the initial introduction of a combination therapy. Another open question is whether neuroprotection is possible in Parkinson's disease with the drugs currently available. In advanced stages of Parkinson's disease treatment of concomitand mental symptoms and multifarious disorders of the autonomic nervous system are becoming of increasing significance.