PMID: 9740115: Ropinirole for early PD: a 12-month experience.

[janet paterson <janet313@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ropinirole for the treatment of early Parkinson disease:
a 12-month experience. Ropinirole Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ropinirole hydrochloride as dopaminergic monotherapy in 
patients with early Parkinson disease.

DESIGN: A 6-month extension of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

SETTING: Ambulatory care at 22 different sites in the United States.

PATIENTS: Patients who successfully completed the initial 6-month study could 
enter the 6-month extension study (ropinirole, n = 70; placebo, n = 77).

INTERVENTION: Use of ropinirole or placebo therapy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The efficacy variables were the number of patients who 
successfully completed the 12-month study and did not require supplemental 
levodopa, the number of patients requiring supplemental levodopa, and the 
proportion of patients having an insufficient therapeutic response.

RESULTS: Significantly fewer ropinirole-treated patients met criteria for 
insufficient therapeutic response (23 [19.8%] of 116) or required the 
initiation of levodopa therapy (22 [19%] of 116) compared with placebo-treated 
patients (60 [48%] of 125 patients for insufficient therapeutic response; 57 
[45.6%] of 125 patients for additional levodopa).

Significantly more ropinirole-treated patients (51 [44.0%] of 116) successfully 
completed the 12-month study and did not require supplemental levodopa compared 
with placebo-treated patients (28 [22.4%] of 125).

The incidence of adverse experiences and patient withdrawals was low.

CONCLUSION: Ropinirole was effective and well tolerated as monotherapy for 12 
months in patients with early Parkinson disease.


Arch Neurol 1998 Sep;55(9):1211-6
Sethi KD, O'Brien CF, Hammerstad JP, Adler CH, Davis TL,
Taylor RL, Sanchez-Ramos J, Bertoni JM, Hauser RA
Department of Neurology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912, USA.
PMID: 9740115, UI: 98410831

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janet paterson
52 now / 41 dx / 37 onset
snail-mail: PO Box 171  Almonte  Ontario  K0A 1A0  Canada
website: a new voice <>
e-mail: <janet313@xxxxxxxxxxx>