Pergolide compared with bromocriptine in Parkinson's disease: A multicenter, crossover, controlled study

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Abstract
We compared the efficacy and safety of pergolide and bromocriptine in 57 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with a declining response to levodopa therapy in a single‐blind, crossover study. Patients were placed randomly on the sequence bromocriptine‐pergolide (12 + 12 weeks) or vice versa. Regular evaluations using the New York University Parkinson's Disease Scale were performed by a clinician blinded to treatment assignment. Patients' and clinicians' impressions also were recorded. The average daily dose of pergolide was 2.3 ± 0.8 mg, and that of bromocriptine was 24.2 ± 8.4 mg. Significantly greater efficacy was demonstrated by both drugs as adjunctive therapy to levodopa compared with previous treatment of levodopa alone (pergolide, p = 0.0001; bromocriptine, p = 0.0005; Wilcoxon t test). Pergolide was more effective than bromocriptine in daily living scores (p = 0.020) and motor scores (p = 0.038). No difference in dyskinesias, dystonias, and psychosis was observed. Adverse events were more frequent in bromocriptine‐treated patients. Most patients and physicians preferred pergolide to bromocriptine. Pergolide as adjunctive therapy to levodopa was more effective than bromocriptine in this short‐term trial.

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