Real-Time Levodopa Monitoring for Improved Management of Parkinson Disease
University of California, San Diego
Summary
This project aims to develop a minimally invasive sensor device to monitor levodopa levels in real time. We will test the accuracy, tolerability, and safety of this device in people with Parkinson disease.
Description
People with Parkinson disease (PD) lack the chemical dopamine, which is important for movement. Levodopa replaces dopamine and restores normal motor function in PD. Early in the disease stages, people with PD benefit significantly from levodopa. However, as PD progresses, the brain loses more dopamine-producing cells, which causes motor complications and unpredictable responses to levodopa. To maintain control of symptoms over time, levodopa doses must be increased and given at increasingly shorter intervals. The optimal levodopa regimen is different for each person and may vary from day-to-da…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 40–85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must meet the Movement Disorders Society (MDS) diagnostic criteria for clinically established Parkinson disease. 2. Able to provide signed informed consent (in English or Spanish) 3. Mild, moderate, or severe Parkinson disease, able to ambulate (Hoehn and Yahr stages I-IV) 4. Taking instant release oral carbidopa/levodopa therapy 5. Either not taking, or on stable doses of any of the following antiparkinsonian medications: dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors or catecholamine O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors Exclusion Criteria:…
Interventions
- DeviceLevodopameter
There are several minimally-invasive sensors being developed that can detect levodopa levels in the capillary blood, sweat, and interstitial fluid.
Location
- University of California San DIegoSan Diego, California