ABSTRACT
Parkinson’s Disease treatment is symptomatic and aims to alleviate the symptoms associated with the disease, through the precise adjustment of medication. The most widely used drug, levodopa, is effective usually across the lifespan. However, the onset of motor complications (MCs) a few years after starting treatment detract from its value. Symptomatic control of these complications is difficult and must be often optimized because the obtained improvement after such adjustment is not stable over the long term. Treatment is primarily addressed to reduce the time that the patient is in the OFF state (i.e., time without medication effects), while avoiding the appearance of MCs and non-motor symptoms, such as hallucinations or impulse control disorder. Reducing OFF hours is, therefore, one of the main parameters used to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, both in medical practice and in clinical trials. Parkinson’s Disease is one of the chronic disorders with the most impact on patients’ lifestyle.
