A 45-year-old woman reported automatic behaviors and communication whilst she was being treated with pramipexole. These episodes vanished after the medication was tapered and she was started on levodopa/carbidopa. I hypothesize that the episodes were related to disordered awareness due to sleep disruption related to this medication.

Objective Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the progressive degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Rotigotine is a non-ergot dopamine receptor agonist (DA). Its transdermal patch maintains the effective concentrations for 24 hours. Freezing of gait (FOG) is a common and devastating symptom in PD patients. Little is known about therapeutic effects of rotigotine on FOG...

OBJECTIVE To make evidence-based recommendations regarding restless legs syndrome (RLS) management in adults. METHODS Articles were classified per the 2004 American Academy of Neurology evidence rating scheme. Recommendations were tied to evidence strength. RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In moderate to severe primary RLS, clinicians should consider prescribing medication to reduce RLS symptoms...

Pramipexole is the mostly prescribed drug in patients with Parkinson disease. The incidence of Parkinson disease is related to aging and mostly developed in elderly people with difficulty in swallowing or dysphagia. In the current study we aimed to develop an orally fast disintegrating tablet (ODT) of pramipexole as a preferable alternative in geriatric patients. Hence, the fast disintegration ...

It is established that dopamine (DA) neurotransmission plays a critical role in the behavioral (e.g. discriminative stimulus) effects of cocaine in rodents. Nonetheless, research has also demonstrated that reciprocal signaling between DA and monoamine neurotransmitters, i.e. serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) has important implication for understanding the actions of cocaine. The present ...

BACKGROUND Non-ergoline dopamine agonists (DA) are effective treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD). This review presents the pharmacology, evidence of efficacy and safety profile of pramipexole, ropinirole, and rotigotine, and practical recommendations are given regarding their use in clinical practice. RESULTS Extended-release formulations of pramipexole and ropinirole and transdermal cont...

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition characterized by discomfort at rest and urge to move focused on the legs. RLS may occur as an idiopathic, often hereditary condition (primary RLS), or in association with medical conditions (secondary RLS) including iron deficiency, uremia, and polyneuropathy. Current understanding of the pathophysiology of RLS points to the involvement of three inter...