Biomaterial Database

Failure of cerebrospinal fluid homovanillic acid to predict levodopa response in Parkinson's disease. 1973

W J Weiner, and H L Klawans

Lumbar cerebrospinal fluid homovanillic acid levels were estimated in 60 patients with Parkinsonism before and during levodopa treatment. There was a slight negative correlation between pretreatment CSF homovanillic acid levels and disability. There was no correlation between pretreatment homovanillic acid levels and clinical response to levodopa. Patients with high pretreatment levels did as well as those with depressed levels. High (normal or near normal) levels of CSF homovanillic acid in a patient with Parkinsonism do not necessarily indicate that the Parkinsonism will not respond to levodopa. These patients should receive the benefit of a trial of levodopa. There was also no correlation between homovanillic acid level during tratment and improvement. Patients with minimal increases in CSF homovanillic acid responded as well as those with greater elevations. Failure of levodopa to increase CSF homovanillic acid significantly does not indicate that the patient will not respond to levodopa and that levodopa should be discontinued. Other factors, such as vitamin B(6) consumption, should be investigated.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010300	Parkinson Disease	A progressive, degenerative neurologic disease characterized by a TREMOR that is maximal at rest, retropulsion (i.e. a tendency to fall backwards), rigidity, stooped posture, slowness of voluntary movements, and a masklike facial expression. Pathologic features include loss of melanin containing neurons in the substantia nigra and other pigmented nuclei of the brainstem. LEWY BODIES are present in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus but may also be found in a related condition (LEWY BODY DISEASE, DIFFUSE) characterized by dementia in combination with varying degrees of parkinsonism. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1059, pp1067-75)	Idiopathic Parkinson Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson Disease,Paralysis Agitans,Primary Parkinsonism,Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease,Lewy Body Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease,Parkinson's Disease, Idiopathic,Parkinson's Disease, Lewy Body,Parkinsonism, Primary
D010648	Phenylacetates	Derivatives of phenylacetic acid. Included under this heading are a variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that contain the benzeneacetic acid structure. Note that this class of compounds should not be confused with derivatives of phenyl acetate, which contain the PHENOL ester of ACETIC ACID.	Benzeneacetates,Benzeneacetic Acids,Phenylacetic Acids,Acids, Benzeneacetic,Acids, Phenylacetic
D011379	Prognosis	A prediction of the probable outcome of a disease based on a individual's condition and the usual course of the disease as seen in similar situations.	Prognostic Factor,Prognostic Factors,Factor, Prognostic,Factors, Prognostic,Prognoses
D004185	Disability Evaluation	Determination of the degree of a physical, mental, or emotional handicap. The diagnosis is applied to legal qualification for benefits and income under disability insurance and to eligibility for Social Security and workmen's compensation benefits.	Disability Evaluations,Evaluation, Disability,Evaluations, Disability
D004295	Dihydroxyphenylalanine	A beta-hydroxylated derivative of phenylalanine. The D-form of dihydroxyphenylalanine has less physiologic activity than the L-form and is commonly used experimentally to determine whether the pharmacological effects of LEVODOPA are stereospecific.	Dopa,3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine,3-Hydroxy-DL-tyrosine,Dihydroxyphenylalanine Hydrochloride, (2:1),beta-Hydroxytyrosine,3 Hydroxy DL tyrosine,3,4 Dihydroxyphenylalanine,beta Hydroxytyrosine
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D006719	Homovanillic Acid	A 3-O-methyl ETHER of (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)acetic acid.	3-Methoxy-4-Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid,4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxyphenylacetic Acid,3 Methoxy 4 Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid,4 Hydroxy 3 Methoxyphenylacetic Acid,Acid, 3-Methoxy-4-Hydroxyphenylacetic,Acid, 4-Hydroxy-3-Methoxyphenylacetic,Acid, Homovanillic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man